BORIS Johnson has insisted he “absolutely” has full confidence in Priti Patel after the Home Secretary’s most senior adviser quit and levelled bullying accusations against her.

There had been calls for Patel to resign as Secretary of State following the explosive resignation of the Home Office’s top civil servant on Saturday. But the Prime Minister told reporters: “I absolutely do have confidence in Priti Patel. I think she is a fantastic Home Secretary. It is never an easy job, as anyone who has been Home Secretary will testify. It is one of the toughest jobs in Government.”

The Home Office permanent secretary accused Patel of orchestrating a “vicious” campaign against him, of lying about her involvement in it and of creating a climate of fear among her officials. Speaking to the BBC, Philip Rutnam said “tension” developed in his relationship with the Home Secretary after he challenged her over her behaviour, which he said staff claimed included “shouting and swearing, belittling people [and] making unreasonable demands”.

Johnson said he was “full of admiration” for the civil service, which he said ministers “depend on” to implement changes.

Rutnam’s resignation was followed by almost 24 hours where no minister spoke out in defence of the embattled former international development secretary. The silence fuelled rumours that Patel would be forced to resign, but the PM’s backing means she is likely to survive the latest Home Office crisis.

But senior Tories yesterday leapt to the defence of Patel. Health Secretary Matt Hancock insisted she was was “extremely courteous” in her dealings with colleagues. And Conservative ally Nusrat Ghani MP, who was sacked as a minister by Johnson last month, claimed the criticism of Patel had sexist overtones.

READ MORE: Philip Rutnam: Top Home Office civil servant resigns from role

READ MORE: Priti Patel demonstrated in 2017 that she could not be trusted

Hancock told the BBC’s Andrew Marr programme: “Priti is a very determined Home Secretary ... I also think she is extremely courteous, and in every dealing I’ve had with her she has been very courteous. I can’t get into the details of the case, not least because it looks like it might be going to court, and I’m not close to it.”

Asked on BBC Radio 5 Live whether he was accusing Rutnam of lying, Hancock added: “I’m not getting into that.” Ghani, appearing on Sky News, said: “I do think it’s curious that if you’re providing leadership, if you’re determined, working at a fantastic pace, that within men that is seen as a fantastic skill and for women sometimes it’s seen as challenging.”

Labour have looked to ramp up the pressure on the under-fire Home Secretary, with shadow chancellor John McDonnell suggesting she could be forced to resign.

McDonnell, when asked if Patel could stay in her post, told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I can’t see it, it’s bizarre.”

He added: “One of the ways the Prime Minister could go forward is to have an independent investigation but during that period you’d have to suspend the Home Secretary whilst that went on.”

Labour leadership candidate Sir Keir Starmer also called on Patel to explain to MPs the explosive allegations levelled against her by Rutnam.

Starmer said: “The Home Secretary has a duty to come to Parliament on Monday to explain the allegations made about her own conduct.”

The shadow Brexit secretary called for Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill to start “an immediate investigation” into the circumstances surrounding Rutnam’s departure.

In his statement on Saturday, Rutnam claimed the campaign against him included “false” claims that he had briefed the media against the Home Secretary.

He said: “The Home Secretary categorically denied any involvement in this campaign to the Cabinet Office. I regret I do not believe her. She has not made the effort I would expect to dissociate herself from the comments.

“I believe these events give me very strong grounds to claim constructive, unfair dismissal and I will be pursuing that claim in the courts.”

Cabinet Secretary Sedwill in a statement issued about two hours after Rutnam quit, said he had accepted the senior civil servant’s resignation “with great regret”.