RISHI Sunak could "duck out" of the Commons vote on Boris Johnson's fate by glad-handing a fellow European leader, sources say.
The Sun understands a fellow PM from the continent will be visiting London on Monday – potentially giving Mr Sunak cover to avoid having to vote in the Commons over the partygate probe's findings.
But opposition MPs would be quick to jump on such a move to brand the PM weak by dodging more criticism of his ousted predecessor.
It comes as BoJo's allies upped the ante in their attacks on the Commons Privileges Committee and their damning verdict on the ex-PM's lockdown lies.
And they accused Labour committee boss Harriet Harman of trying to "gag" fellow MPs from any criticism of their brutal report into Johnson.
But Westminster insiders believe an embarrassing showdown on Monday could be avoided all together with MPs rubber stamping the findings instead.
A handful of Johnson supporting MPs like Sir Simon Clarke and Brendan Clarke-Smith have publicly vowed to vote against finding BoJo in "contempt of Parliament" and banning him from having a pass to the Palace of Westminster for life.
But there are claims Johnson himself has urged his supporters "not to die in a ditch" by voting in his favour given hundreds of other MPs will vote to punish him.
If no MP objects to the findings of the report, it will be "nodded through" without a division – sparing the PM and senior ministers blushes if they try to dodge the vote.
Today Mr Sunak's spokesman insisted the PM was too busy to have read the 108 verdict on Johnson that sounded the death knell for his Commons career.
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A No 10 spokesman told reporters: "He was in meetings all yesterday and continues to have meetings today. So he hasn't fully had time to consider the report… The Prime Minister takes these processes very seriously, which is why he intends to take the time to study the report closely."
He added: "The Prime Minister doesn't think it's appropriate to express a Government view or a view on behalf of the Government given that it's a matter for individual MPs and MPs have a free vote on this on Monday."
No 10 continued to decline to say whether Mr Sunak will be present for the vote on Monday.
Meanwhile a leading Johnson supporter branded the behaviour of the Privileges Committee an "absolute disgrace"
Sir Jake Berry blasted the committee for threatening any MP that dared to criticise their report with sanction – accusing them of trying to "gag' colleagues.
'I'M AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT REPORT'
He told Good Morning Britain: "For the first time in my parliamentary career, I'm afraid to talk about a report or the findings of a committee of Parliament, because they have threatened MPs that if they do so, they themselves will be subject to the sorts of sanctions.
"It's an attack on free speech. It's an absolute disgrace and it rather begs the question that if the committee is so certain and so happy with their findings, why are they trying to stop any debate on this, to gag MPs and prevent them talking about it."
He said he was "almost certain that Parliament will vote in favour" of the report on Monday, but that he will "certainly be one of those in the no lobby opposing this report, because I think both the conclusions and, to some extent, the way the committee was made up in terms of this report are wrong."
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