Boris Johnson looks to rally Tories amid fresh Brexit turmoil, deepening scandal over past relationship

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will try to rally Conservative Party members this week even as he faces new turmoil in Parliament and a deepening scandal over a past personal relationship.

Mr. Johnson was in a buoyant mood as he arrived in Manchester over the weekend for the start of the party’s four-day convention. After touring a local hospital and announcing a £13-billion boost in funding for health-care facilities, Mr. Johnson zeroed in on Brexit and his pledge to take Britain out of the European Union on Oct. 31, with or without a withdrawal agreement.

“People can feel that this country is approaching an important moment of choice and we have to get on and we have to deliver Brexit on October the 31st,” he told the BBC. “I’m going to get on and do it.”

The party’s annual conference is usually a staid affair involving thousands of party faithful who attend a wide array of workshops, speeches and receptions. However, this year’s convention has been put in jeopardy because of Mr. Johnson’s continuing battle with Parliament. Last week, a majority of Members of Parliament refused to shut down the House of Commons for three days in order to accommodate the Conservative conference, which means Tory MPs will have to shuttle back and forth to Westminster.

The Scottish National Party has also threatened to introduce a motion of no-confidence this week which could bring down Mr. Johnson’s minority government. Opposition party leaders will meet on Monday to plot their strategy and there has been speculation they could agree to form a caretaker government in order to ensure the country doesn’t crash out of the EU on Oct. 31.

MPs have already passed a law that requires Mr. Johnson to seek an extension to the deadline if he hasn’t struck a withdrawal agreement by Oct. 19. But Mr. Johnson has said that he won’t delay Brexit and he’ll try to find a way around the legislation. “We have to [introduce a no-confidence motion] because there’s now no confidence that the Prime Minister will obey the law and seek the extension which Parliament voted for only a few weeks ago,” Stewart Hosie, the SNP’s deputy leader in the House of Commons told reporters over the weekend.

Mr. Johnson is also facing more questions about his relationship with U.S. businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri, who allegedly received special treatment from the Prime Minister when he was mayor of London from 2008 to 2016. Reports in the Sunday Times newspaper have alleged that Ms. Arcuri received £126,000 ($205,000) in government assistance for her fledgling technology company, as well as invitations to several trade missions that were led by Mr. Johnson, even though her company didn’t qualify.

Last week, the Greater London Authority referred the allegations to a police watchdog agency which investigates cases of conflicts of interest by city officials. On Sunday Mr. Johnson denied any wrongdoing. "Everything was done in accordance with the code [of conduct] … and everything was done with full propriety,” he told the BBC.

The scandal and the tussles with parliamentarians have done little to dampen enthusiasm among party members. The Conservatives have been topping opinion polls since Mr. Johnson took over as party leader in July and members say the Prime Minister’s message on Brexit is resonating. “Britain loves a trier and Boris is a trier,” said Daniel Caldicott, a 26-year old Tory from Birmingham. “People want to move on from Brexit. They want to get on to the domestic agenda. … Outside of the London bubble, people just want Brexit over with.”

Mr. Caldicott added that he relishes an election call as soon as possible and believes the party is in far better shape to win a majority than it was a few months ago. Duncan Baker, a Conservative candidate in Norfolk, agreed and said there’s a growing disconnect between parliamentarians and the public. “People are sick and tired of Brexit," he said.

There’s not complete harmony at the convention however. Mr. Johnson expelled 21 Tory MPs from the party’s parliamentary caucus a few weeks ago after they sided with the Opposition. One of the rebel MPs, Rory Stewart, was scheduled to speak at a conference event on Sunday and answer questions from members. However, the event was cancelled at the last minute without explanation.