Boris Johnson’s reputation among Conservative members has plunged to a record low, it has emerged, as the party enters its annual conference facing accusations of a “chumocracy” at the top of government.

With Tory MPs restless over the government’s performance, which has seen it lose a huge poll lead over Labour since the start of the pandemic, the prime minister has recorded his first ever negative satisfaction rating among a survey of Tory members on the ConservativeHome website. He recorded the second-lowest score of any cabinet member, with only education secretary Gavin Williamson performing worse…

Johnson is facing concerns from different wings of his party. While the libertarian wing is increasingly concerned that Covid restrictions remain too severe, figures on the modernising wing are concerned about radical plans to breach international law regarding the European Union, and to confront the BBC – an agenda they attribute to Johnson’s senior adviser, Dominic Cummings.