Boris Johnson takes his Tories for dinner in bid to mend ties

LONDON: Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host a team-bonding dinner for UK Conservative Members of Parliament on Tuesday, as he seeks to rebuild the relationship with his party after months of tensions.

Tory MPs have been invited to a group photo shoot in Parliament before heading to a central London hotel for the main event, according to three people familiar with the matter. It comes after the Conservative Party postponed a planned "away day" at a countryside retreat in January due to the pandemic.

Though the calls for Johnson's resignation have largely gone quiet since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the prime minister is still eager to win over MPs who harbor doubts over his leadership in the wake of a string of gaffes and missteps. Crucially, a police probe into alleged rule-breaking parties in during the pandemic has yet to be published, and could come within weeks.

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One MP said Tuesday's event would be a good way for rank-and-file Tories to reconnect with Johnson's top team, after long periods when the coronavirus outbreak prevented frequent contact. The resignation of several senior aides to Johnson in February seems to have reassured some MPs that the prime minister has taken their concerns about communication seriously.

Even before the "Partygate" allegations, some Tory MPs had complained of being left high and dry by a government that led them into controversial votes and then backed down the next day.

Relations have unraveled since November when the government attempted to protect former minister Owen Paterson who was found guilty of paid lobbying.

Johnson is keen to get his party back onside ahead of district elections in May, when the opposition Labour party hopes to convert a national poll lead into gains across England. The next general election is due in 2024.

Conservative Party bosses also want to encourage MPs themselves to get to know each other better. Many new lawmakers -- some of whom are from the so-called Red Wall seats that swung to the Tories from Labour in 2019 -- have barely met colleagues elected in previous years because Westminster proceedings were largely virtual during the pandemic.

Johnson knows the danger is not over, and a leadership contest is still possible in the coming months, especially if the police findings are particularly damaging for the prime minister. It would take 54 Conservative MPs, or 15% of the total, to trigger a no-confidence vote in his leadership.