- Conservative supporters of Boris Johnson are considering bringing him back into the fold
- MPs said they are considering a ticket with Nigel Farage, the former leader of the Brexit Party
- Reform Party leader Richard Tice said there was ‘no way’ they would reach a deal
A group of Tory MPs who ‘regret’ the ouster of Boris Johnson are behind an extraordinary bid to bring him back in the hope of saving the election.
Amid speculation that Rishi Sunak could face a leadership challenge in the coming weeks, MPs are considering whether the former prime minister could return to power.
They believe he is ‘the best campaigner’ since Margaret Thatcher and would be a ‘huge asset’ to the party.
MPs are even considering whether he could form a ‘dream ticket’ leadership relationship with Nigel Farage, now a member of Reform UK.
However, reform leader Richard Tice threw cold water on the suggestion yesterday, saying there was ‘no way we can do a deal with the Toxic Tories’.
There is a group of Conservative Party MPs who are keen to bring back former Prime Minister Boris Johnson
They are said to be considering whether Johnson could strike up a ‘dream ticket’ leadership relationship with Nigel Farage, now a member of Reform UK.
Another idea being floated is that Priti Patel, the former home secretary, could be installed as interim Prime Minister, while Mr Johnson – who left the House of Commons earlier this year – looks for a safe seat at the election stands.
Alternatively, an MP suggested yesterday that the former Prime Minister could stand as a candidate in a by-election – such as in Wellingborough, where a petition is underway to decide whether incumbent MP Peter Bone should lose his seat.
A spokesman for Johnson last night declined to comment on his political ambitions, but denied the existence of plans to work with Farage.
He said: ‘Boris Johnson is currently writing a book and supporting the government.’
The Mail on Sunday, which first revealed the plot, also reported that Sunak’s enemies have drawn up an ‘Advent calendar of s**t’ to further destabilize the Prime Minister.
They would like to ‘crash’ Sunak’s government to install a leader who could close the poll gap with Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor Party.
A Tory MP said last night: ‘I would do almost anything to get him back because he wins the election and it’s that simple.’
Boris Johnson could succeed MP Peter Bone, who is facing a petition to decide whether he should lose his seat, Conservative MPs have suggested
Reform leader Richard Tice yesterday threw cold water on the suggestion, saying there is ‘no way we can do a deal with Toxic Tories’
They compared Mr Johnson to a “star striker” who had had “a few bad games” and was sold to a lower league football club, adding: “We need him more than anything.” Another said: ‘Boris is without doubt the best campaigner we have had since Margaret Thatcher and if he wants to come back in any capacity, not necessarily as leader, but I would have thought he would be a huge asset to the election to deploy. time. ‘We need someone who is a campaigner and not a manager.’
A third senior MP said: ‘I never wanted him to go.
“I don’t think you should get rid of people who have won an election.”
However, other Johnson supporters said it would “be worth it” to have a fourth prime minister within one term.
‘I don’t see it happening because there is no alternative.
‘But that’s the nice thing about Boris: he is an alternative person.
“It would also be a return to the person who gave us the mandate in 2019.”
Meanwhile, a Tory source said: ‘Tackling illegal immigration is an issue that provokes very passionate debate, and we are seeing some people who are particularly passionate speaking very loudly. But the majority of the party only wants us to take action on this.
“We need to give them something to take with them at the next election that they can say, ‘We promised to do this… and look how much we have achieved in tackling this problem, despite every block in our way ‘.’
