Harriet Harman is predicted to lead Partygate probe into whether Boris Johnson lied to Parliament

Harriet Harman is expected to be appointed today to lead an investigation into whether Boris Johnson lied to Parliament over Partygate. 

The seven MPs on the Commons privileges committee are widely predicted to elect the ex-deputy Labour leader, who previously accused the Prime Minister of lying, as they begin their inquiry.

It came as one of Mr Johnson’s biggest critics admitted that a leadership contest was ‘not what the country needs’. Former Brexit minister Steve Baker said he would stand for election to the Tories’ backbench 1922 Committee to change rules to allow another challenge to the PM if he refuses to step down. 

He said Tory MPs would have no choice but to act in the ‘extraordinary’ circumstance of the PM being ‘found guilty’ of lying to Parliament. 

Harriet Harman (pictured) is expected to be appointed today to lead an investigation into whether Boris Johnson lied to Parliament over Partygate

The seven MPs on the Commons privileges committee are widely predicted to elect the ex-deputy Labour leader, who previously accused the Prime Minister (seen Boris Johnson leaving Downing Street) of lying, as they begin their inquiry

He told BBC Radio 4’s World at One: ‘It would be a grave step to change the rules which are there to provide political stability’.

Yesterday the head of the civil service confirmed that ‘a number of people’ have resigned from their jobs over Partygate.

Questioned by Tory MP John Stevenson, a member of the Commons public administration and constitutional affairs committee, Cabinet Secretary Simon Case said some people had offered to resign.

He said: ‘A number of people have left their posts.’

Mr Case also revealed that he was part of the disciplinary process started in the wake of Partygate.