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Boris Johnson's sleaze woes deepened today amid another wave of allegations and claims a Tory vice-chair has quit in protest.     

The PM has dropped plans for a Cabinet away-day at Chequers tomorrow as the frenzy threatens to engulf the party.

Andrew Bowie, tipped as a rising star, has stepped back from his role as a Conservative vice-chair role. He insisted he wants to focus on his Scottish constituency, but has reportedly told friends he is 'unable to support the government' in the wake of the Owen Paterson debacle.

The crisis shows no sign of easing today, with former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox coming under more fire over his £1million-a-year legal work.

Footage has emerged appearing to show the eminent QC representing the British Virgin Islands at a fraud commission by video-link from his Commons office.

Labour has demanded a standards probe, while ministers have admitted that using parliamentary facilities for work is against the rules.

Mr Johnson must also run the gauntlet of a press conference at 4.30pm this evening, where he had been hoping to focus on progress at the COP26 climate change summit in Glasgow. 

As Boris Johnson (left) faces more sleaze allegations against Tories, the party has confirmed that Andrew Bowie (right) has stepped back from his vice-chair role

Sir Geoffrey Cox has been referred to the Commons standards tsar over claims he broke Commons rules by using his parliamentary office to offer legal advice to the British Virgin Islands

Mr Bowie said today that he wanted to 'focus on representing my constituents'

Sir Geoffrey has not been seen or spoken publicly since it emerged he travelled to the British Virgin Islands earlier this year for legal work while parliament was sitting, voting in Westminster by proxy. There is no suggestion that broke rules, but it has sparked questions about his commitment to MP duties. 

Tory sources indicated the vice-chair position would be held open for Mr Bowie should he wish to return.

But a friend told the Reaction website: “He doesn’t want to make a fuss but he’s unable to support the government after the events of recent days.' 

The MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine has a narrow majority, holding the seat in 2019 by only 843 votes in the face of an SNP surge.

When first elected in 2017, Mr Bowie enjoyed a majority of almost 8,000 after being bolstered by a 19 point swing to the Tories. 

On another day of chaos for the premier: 

• MPs faced a crackdown on second jobs, with possible rules to limit hours and ban working for lobbying firms;
• The Metropolitan Police said they were 'considering' calls to investigate 'cash for honours' allegations relating to the appointment of Tory donors to the Lords;
• The PM prepared to return to the Cop26 climate change summit today in a bid to move the news agenda away from sleaze;
• Sir Keir Starmer faced allegations of hypocrisy after it emerged he had given paid advice to a legal firm registered as a lobbyist while an MP;
• No 10 said Parliament would be invited to 'unpick' the PM's failed attempt to tear up anti-sleaze rules next week;

Sir Geoffrey was in the Caribbean in April, May and June this year and participated in Commons votes by proxy while abroad.

New footage shows him based in his Commons office in London while appearing to carry out his second job, offering legal advice on the British Virgin Islands legal case.

MPs should only use their taxpayer-funded offices for parliamentary work.

The former Cabinet minister has been heavily rebuked following revelations he has been working in the Caribbean tax haven

When contacted by The Times, Sir Geoffrey did not deny doing legal work from the office.   

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said it was 'an egregious, brazen breach of the rules' and has written to standards commissioner Kathryn Stone asking her for 'guidance on beginning a formal investigation on this matter'.

Ms Rayner said in her letter that the MP's code of conduct was 'very clear' that elected representatives ensure that 'any facilities and services provided from the public purse is... always in support of their parliamentary duties' and 'should not confer any... financial benefit on themselves'.

She added: 'The member has clearly broken this rule based on the media reports we have seen.

'Members must be clear that they cannot use the estate for private financial gain and where there is such a stark conflict with public interest, they must face substantial consequences.'

New footage shows him based in his Commons office in London while appearing to carry out his second job

The most recent register of financial interests showed that Torridge and West Devon MP Sir Geoffrey will earn more than £800,000 from Withers, an international law firm appointed by the British Virgin Islands (BVI) government in January.

Sir Geoffrey also disclosed in the register that from September 28 this year until further notice, he will be paid £400,000 a year by Withers for up to 41 hours of work per month.

In the British Virgin Islands commission of inquiry hearing on September 14, Sir Geoffrey can be heard in the online recording telling the commissioner: 'Forgive my absence during some of the morning - I'm afraid the bell went off.'

The bell referred to could be the division bell that sounds off across the parliament estate to alert MPs to a vote taking place.

Earlier in the proceedings, Sir Geoffrey appears to vacate his seat for about 20 minutes at around the two-hour mark in the video footage.

His Commons voting record shows that he voted in person on six occasions on September 14 to push through the Government's health and social care levy.

Ms Rayner said: 'This appears to be an egregious, brazen breach of the rules.

'A Conservative MP using a taxpayer funded office in Parliament to work for a tax haven facing allegations of corruption is a slap in the face and an insult to British taxpayers.

'The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards must investigate this, and the Prime Minister needs to explain why he has an MP in his parliamentary party that treats Parliament like a co-working space allowing him to get on with all of his other jobs instead of representing his constituents.

'You can be an MP serving your constituents or a barrister working for a tax haven - you can't be both and Boris Johnson needs to make his mind up as to which one Geoffrey Cox will be.'

The Liberal Democrats also waded in, with the party's chief whip Wendy Chamberlain urging the QC to 'save everyone the time and trouble of an investigation' and 'come clean now'.

Ms Chamberlain added: 'The real slap in the face is that this took place on the very same day he voted through a tax hike on millions of hardworking British people.'

It comes as Cox was ordered by whips to spend more time in Parliament – as it emerged he made a second trip to a Caribbean tax haven while the Commons was sitting.

The former attorney general was rebuked by Government Chief Whip Mark Spencer following revelations in the Daily Mail about his lucrative second job.  

A Government source said Mr Spencer had 'reminded him he needs to be physically present in Parliament, representing his constituents'.

Sir Geoffrey Cox was ordered to spend more time in Parliament on Tuesday night – as it emerged he made a second trip to a Caribbean tax haven while the Commons was sitting.

Downing Street also distanced itself from Mr Cox, with a No 10 spokesman saying an MP's 'primary job' should be serving their constituents.

But the Mail can reveal that Sir Geoffrey made a second trip to the Caribbean in June as he battled to clear the BVI government in a corruption inquiry launched by the British Foreign Office.

Footage from the inquiry shows that Sir Geoffrey was present in the courtroom where the inquiry was held on the largest of the islands – Tortola – on June 22, when Parliament was sitting in London discussing Covid regulations.

It also emerged on Tuesday that Sir Geoffrey had been forced to declare an interest in 2018 after voting against a tightening of anti-money laundering regulations in tax havens such as the Cayman Islands, where he defended a former premier against corruption charges. Sir Geoffrey has so far declined to respond to repeated requests for comment on the affair.

The Mail can reveal that Sir Geoffrey made a second trip to the Caribbean in June as he battled to clear the BVI government in a corruption inquiry launched by the British Foreign Office. Footage from the inquiry shows that Sir Geoffrey was present in the courtroom (bottom left and centre) where the inquiry was held on the largest of the islands – Tortola – on June 22, when Parliament was sitting in London discussing Covid regulations

Reporters visiting his West Devon home yesterday were told he was 'abroad'. A Government source said the Chief Whip's reprimand had been delivered by phone, suggesting Sir Geoffrey was absent from Westminster again on another Parliamentary sitting day.

It also emerged Sir Geoffrey voted in person in Parliament on just two days over a 13-month period. The revelations followed controversy over Boris Johnson's botched attempt to block the suspension of former minister Owen Paterson for breaking lobbying rules. The row came as:

Sir Geoffrey is not accused of breaking the rules in pocketing more than £1million in outside earnings last year on top of his £82,000 MP's salary.

But senior Tories were privately aghast at his decision to decamp to the Caribbean for up to a month at the tail end of the last lockdown in pursuit of a lucrative contract.

One source said: 'It is very sad that we are having to tell MPs that they need to put their constituents first.'

Labour called for an investigation into his conduct, adding that the Prime Minister needed to decide whether Sir Geoffrey was a 'Caribbean-based barrister or a Conservative MP'.

Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab initially appeared to defend Sir Geoffrey yesterday, saying that his outside work was 'legitimate'.

Mr Raab said it was 'quite important' to have MPs who had 'some knowledge' of British overseas territories like the BVI.

But as anger grew, No 10 later distanced itself from the former Cabinet minister.

A Downing Street spokesman said the Prime Minister believed an MP's 'primary job is and must be to serve their constituents and to represent their interests in Parliament'.