It appears unlikely Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce will lose the National Party leadership as the fallout continues from the text message scandal.

It was revealed on the weekend Mr Joyce apologised and offered his resignation to Prime Minister Scott Morrison after calling him a “hypocrite” and a “liar” in leaked text messages sent while he was on the backbench.

Federal political editor Michael Pachi said it was clear his Nationals colleagues were furious.

“The National Party has been meeting for about the past hour or so .. and they are not happy with Barnaby there’s no doubt about that,” he told Scott Emerson.

“A few of them have come out publicly and said … it has really sucked oxygen out of the government just as its trying to talk about its economic credentials.”

But he said Mr Joyce was safe for now, given the election is only a matter of months away.

“What I can tell you … if an election was not so close, Barnaby’s leadership would be in trouble and the party would install another leader.”

But he said if the government loses the election, he predicts David Littleproud will take the leadership.

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Image: Nine News