The Tory backbencher is expected to become the next UK Prime Minister, but his administration will be dogged by crippling problems from the start. BBC Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg told the Today programme that Mr Johnson will have his own equivalent of the Brexiteer European Research Group that exerted “huge power” over Theresa May. She told BBC host Justin Webb: “This time it’s going to be the other way round.

“There will be Brexiteers on Boris’ case – absolutely, no doubt about that.

“And there are already divisions inside Team Johnson over how hard he should try and get a deal and what that deal should look like.

“But there will be this new rebel alliance made up of former Remainers.

“Made up of extremely powerful people who know their way around, including the current Chancellor and plenty of former ministers and people who are willing to work cross-party.

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“So he’s going to have a very well organised, very determined group on his case in parliament.

“And there’s not a majority to speak of. There’s even a by-election in a couple of weeks.

“I think the takeover, if indeed it happens and there isn’t another ginormous political upset, is going to be a nightmare.

“It is an absolute nightmare.

“Ministers who’d probably be sacked anyway going public to say they wouldn’t serve him… I’ve never seen that before.

“There’s basically no majority in parliament and those same policy conundrums are intense.

“We’re all going to find out whether Boris Johnson could be Houdini or whether he’s more like Tom Cooper.”

A Johnson win could spark more Government resignations after Sir Alan Duncan quit as Foreign Office minister on Monday in protest at his expected victory, predicting a “crisis of government” if Mr Johnson becomes PM.

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Ministers opposed to his “do or die” pledge to pull the UK out of the EU on October 31, even if there is no deal in place, could leave before Mrs May formally gives up the premiership on Wednesday afternoon.

Chancellor Philip Hammond and Justice Secretary David Gauke have given notice that they will resign rather than serve under Mr Johnson.

Mr Gauke said he believed there were “parliamentary mechanisms” that could prevent a no-deal Brexit which would “not necessarily” involve bringing down a Johnson administration.

He stressed that he would not vote against a Tory government in a motion of no confidence if it was heading towards a no-deal Brexit.

But Mr Gauke told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There is a clear majority in the House of Commons that doesn’t want to leave the EU without a deal; I think that will become very clear in the autumn.”

He told the Times that newly elected Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson could take votes from the Tories in the event of a no-deal exit.

He said: “If we were to narrow our support to purely being those in favour of a no-deal Brexit, I think we would be significantly out of touch with a lot of people who have traditionally voted Conservative – those who live in London, the Home Counties, and various other relatively affluent parts of the country.”

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