But Damian Green, the former deputy prime minister, called on cabinet ministers to oppose Mr Johnson.
“If this long agony for all concerned – from the prime minister down – has to be brought to the head in one way or another, then maybe someone in the cabinet would like to take some action,” he told the Andrew Neil Show.
“The way to end this is for one or more cabinet members to decide to say, ‘Look, we can’t go on like this.’
Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, meanwhile, wrote in an article for Conservative Home that the defeat in the by-elections last Thursday sent the message that “the Conservative Party needs to change and the shortcomings revealed in the party organization need to be corrected.”
Mr Tugendhat encouraged the Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) to strengthen its ties with local parties, give associations new powers and allow activists to have a greater say in politics.
In January, Mr Tugendhat became the first Tory MP to say he would throw his hat in the ring in the event of a leadership race.
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