BORIS Johnson could next week skip Prime Minister’s Questions at the UK’s “zombie Parliament” in favour of making his set-piece speech at the Conservatives’ annual conference in Manchester.

The prospect has arisen after MPs rejected the UK Government's request for a three-day recess to facilitate the Tory gathering in Manchester, which begins on Sunday and is due to end next Wednesday with Mr Johnson’s keynote address to the party faithful.

The thinking is that the Conservative leader would see more political benefit in making a speech to the party and the country than in addressing what Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General, this week branded a “dead” parliament.

Downing Street sources made clear the party conference would go ahead as planned; even if it meant Mr Johnson skipping PMQs to deliver his keynote speech.

“If somebody needs to do PMQs, somebody will do PMQs,” explained a senior source.

Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, is next in line to take over at the dispatch box in Mr Johnson’s absence as he also holds the title of First Secretary of State.

The No 10 source pointed out that the convention of allowing party conference to go ahead in recess had stood for 80 years.

"That this zombie Parliament has decided otherwise reflects much more on this Parliament than anyone else," he said.

Yesterday evening, the PM chaired a political Cabinet in Downing St to mull over any potential changes to the conference timetable.

The Conservatives had warned that the economy of Manchester would be hit if opposition parties were to "scupper" their attempts to go ahead with their annual get-together.

But a motion asking for the Commons to be in recess next Monday through to Wednesday was defeated by 306 votes to 289; a majority of 17.

One senior Tory source insisted the conference would go ahead but acknowledged that it might have to be "scaled back" in places if MPs had to remain at Westminster.

With the four-day event estimated to be worth more than £30 million to Manchester, he said that any forced curtailment of conference would be “incredibly damaging for the economy of Manchester".

After the Government lost the vote, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg announced non-controversial business for when the House sits on Monday and Tuesday next week.

He added that the Domestic Abuse Bill, which has cross-party support, would be debated next Wednesday.

Asked how Mr Johnson felt about the Commons defeat - his seventh since becoming PM – his spokesman said: “He is disappointed that MPs have taken this decision. For many years it has been the case that Parliament has been in recess so that parties can hold their party conference. As the PM has made clear the Conservative Party conference will go ahead as planned.”

During Commons exchanges, Patrick Grady for the SNP told MPs: “My heart does bleed for the poor Conservative ministers and backbenchers who will have to come to the House now during their conference.

“Successive chief whips have used the usual channels to communicate the dates of our conferences over the years but at no point we have afforded a recess despite our status as the third party in this place,” added the Glasgow North MP. The Nationalist conference takes place from October 13 to 15 in Aberdeen.

At present, the run of the Conservative conference is -

*on Sunday, a session on Brexit with speeches by Stephen Barclay, the Brexit Secretary, and Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office Minister, in charge of no-deal planning. Speeches by Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, and Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary. Plus the Scottish Tories’ lunch-time fringe event and their evening reception, normally attended by the PM.

*on Monday, a keynote speech by Chancellor Sajid Javid plus other addresses from Therese Coffey, the Work and Pensions Secretary, Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, and Andrea Leadsom, the Business Secretary.

*on Tuesday, a keynote speech by Home Secretary Priti Patel plus sessions on forging stronger communities, social justice and criminal justice.

*on Wednesday, there is a session on Strengthening the Union with a speech from Scottish Secretary Alister Jack plus the end-of-conference keynote address by the PM.