Boris Johnson's father tonight threw his support behind the beleaguered Prime Minister and insisted he would not quit Number 10, despite losing key cabinet colleagues.

After the resignations of Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid, Stanley Johnson blasted: 'There are people playing the man and not the ball.'

Mr Johnson added; 'I am 100 per cent behind him (Boris). One hundred per cent and I am absolutely convinced that he will carry on.'

Speaking exclusively to Mail Online, he added: 'I think he has done an absolutely brilliant job. I wasn't particularly in favour of leaving the EU as you know.

'But the country was completely stuck and he took us out and brought the country together.

'He was absolutely brilliant as far as Covid and I think he has been brilliant as far as the environment and biodiversity are concerned.

'He has shown tremendous leadership as far as the Ukrainian business is concerned.

'And honestly if you ask me he is in the process of being brought down or challenged rather by people who have a political agenda deep down.

'Their job as they see it is to get the political points across by attacking the man, playing the man and not the ball.

'I think he will fend them off in the end and I personally will be delighted because I think there is a huge challenge confronting this country to build bridges now with the EU and China and America and Australia and so forth which is a process which is underway

'Just take his leadership in Ukraine. Without Boris I do not think the EU would have gone as far as it has gone.'

'I think we are in tremendous danger now of being blinded. by a whole series of minutiae.

'I have supported him over Partygate and I continue to support him.

'As far as I'm concerned, I will support him on all the things that he has set out to do.

'And where he has said there have been misunderstandings, I believe they have been misunderstandings and inadvertently mistakes made.

'Yes, you can expect me to say it is as his father, but I think this storm will pass and we shall see him there and we will be grateful for it in the end.'

Asked if he felt the latest controversy over the Pincher affair might be the one to see the Prime Minister finally fall on his sword, he said: 'I personally don't think so.'

He added: 'you have to ask yourself "what kind of detail is the Prime Minister meant to be up to speed on?

'Is he meant to know the foibles and fantasies and frailties of every single person who works for him or has contact with him?

'He has a job to do. He has done the job. It is convenient for people to find pebbles to throw. And those pebbles will find their mark.

'But I think he will shed them off. '

Asked if he was referring to Sunak and Javid with his reference to people playing the man and not the ball, he said: 'No, I am not particularly talking about them.

'I am talking about people who seize on the minutiae of affairs and build them up.'

He would not disclose what the Prime Minister has said to him over the last 24 hours regarding the latest maelstrom.

'I never have and I do not intend to comment on personal communications.

'But believe me this is a man, who is a robust man and he will not fold up the flag and sneak away. He believes that is the right thing to do.'

Mr Johnson added: ‘ I hope Boris toughs it out. Lessons learned playing the Eton Wall Game should stand him in good stead. An eye for a tooth!’