Allies of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson have lashed out at Tory MPs calling for him to resign after the House of Commons ordered a third inquiry into lockdown parties in Downing Street.
The row overshadowed Mr Johnson's much-anticipated visit to India for trade talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Senior backbencher Tobias Ellwood said there had been "a huge breach of trust" with the British people as he called on Conservative MPs to force a change of leadership.
However, that drew a furious accusation of disloyalty from Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns, who said there is "no question" of the prime minister stepping down.
He said Mr Johnson is entitled to their support after leading them to a sweeping general election victory in 2019.
"There are a number of colleagues across parliament who have never really supported the prime minister," he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
"If the prime minister stepped off Westminster Bridge and walked on top of the water they would say he couldn't swim. That is a fact.
"The reality is that it is only two years ago since we won a majority of 80 seats, the biggest majority since Margaret Thatcher in 1987.
"What the prime minister is saying is 'I led you to that victory, I have got business I want to do'."
However, Mr Ellwood, a former minister and chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, said there is a growing realisation in the party that matters cannot continue as they are.
He predicted there will be a "steady trickle" of letters from Tory MPs to Graham Brady, the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee, calling for a leadership contest.
"We must stop drinking the Kool-Aid that's encouraging us to think this is all going to disappear and that we can all move on," he told Sky News.
"I'm afraid the absence of discipline, of focus and leadership in Number 10 during that lockdown period has led to a huge breach of trust with the British people.
"So it's beholden upon all Conservative MPs then to take matters into their own hands, and I think this is where things will go, particularly as we have more bad news to follow."
It followed a chaotic day at Westminster, which saw ministers forced to abandon plans to try to delay a vote on an inquiry into whether Mr Johnson misled Parliament in the face of a threatened Tory revolt.
Instead, MPs nodded through an opposition motion referring Mr Johnson to the Commons Privileges Committee.
It was reported that Mr Johnson intervened personally from India to drop a Government amendment after six junior ministers threatened to resign.
In the House of Commons, influential former minister and leading Brexiteer Steve Baker said the prime minister needs to realise the "gig's up".
The committee will not begin its inquiry until the Metropolitan Police have completed its investigations into breaches of Covid regulations in Whitehall.
The prime minister has already received one fine, as has his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak, over a birthday gathering in No 10 and there are fears more could follow.
