UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking to rally his party after his recent troubles as Conservatives hold their annual conference in the northern English city of Manchester.

Johnson, who has suffered a string of defeats in parliament since becoming prime minister and who faces an investigation dating back to his London mayor days, hopes for strong backing for his stance on Brexit.

He took over as party leader in July with a pledge to get the UK out of the European Union "do or die" on 31 October.

But MPs who do not want the UK to leave the EU without a deal - including 21 who he later kicked out of the parliamentary party - backed a law which means he must ask the EU for a delay to Brexit if no deal has been agreed by 19 October.

Mr Johnson has said that he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than ask for the EU for another extension to the date the UK leaves. 

He suffered a blow on Tuesday when the UK's Supreme Court ruled that he had acted unlawfully in suspending Parliament for five weeks earlier this month. Opponents claimed he had done so to try and stop his opponents being able to block a no-deal Brexit. 

Johnson said he disagreed with the court's decision but would abide by it.

In an interview with the BBC ahead of the official start of the conference, he rejected the idea he might resign: "I have undertaken to lead the party and my country at a difficult time and I am going to continue to do that. I believe it is my responsibility to do that."

Johnson has also been facing allegations that when he was London mayor he failed to declare his personal links to tech entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri, whose company received funding from the mayor's promotional agency and places on official trade funding.

In the same interview, he insisted he had "no interest to declare" when asked whether he made his personal relationship with her known at the time. "Everything was done with full propriety," he added.

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Johnson no longer has a majority in the House of Commons and has challenged the opposition parties to force a general election. They do not want to call one until - or unless - it is clear that there will not be a no-deal Brexit during the campaign.

There is however a suggestion from the Scottish National Party that there could be a vote of no confidence held this week if opposition parties can agree on a temporary prime minister to take charge, delay Brexit and then call a general election.

A succession of Johnson's ministers used the first of the four day gathering to criticize those opposed to a no-deal Brexit. Jacob Rees-Mogg, leader of the House of Commons, said that if there was an alliance of opposition parties it would not be a "government of national unity", but would actually represent a "remainer coup."

Thousands of protesters gathered outside the conference on Sunday - people opposed to Johnson's stance on Brexit and also those opposed to the government's economic policies.