Foreign secretary Liz Truss has sidestepped questions about her leadership ambitions and praised Boris Johnson for doing a "fantastic" job.

The MP for South West Norfolk, who is currently on a ministerial trip to Australia, is seen as a potential leadership candidate should the prime minister be forced out by the ongoing scandal over lockdown parties held in Downing Street.

However, when asked at a press conference whether she would put herself forward for the top job, she replied: “There’s no leadership election."

She added: “The prime minister has my 100pc support. He is doing an excellent job.

“I want the prime minister to continue as long as possible in his job. He is doing a fantastic job.

“The prime minister apologised and said mistakes were made. He is working to open up the economy and deliver for people across Britain and that is what is important and that is what people are focused on.”

Ms Truss, along with defence secretary Ben Wallace, is in Australia for the annual 'Aukmin' talks with with country’s defence and foreign ministers.

She also addressed the mounting crisis in Ukraine and urged president Vladimir Putin to desist from any acts of aggression before “he makes a massive strategic mistake”.

She added: “The Kremlin haven’t learnt the lessons of history. They claim they want stability while they work to threaten and destabilise others. We know what lies down that path and the terrible tole, lives lost and human suffering it brings.”