Johnson takes flak for sniping

Britain’s finance minister on Monday blasted former foreign secretary Boris Johnson, a leading critic of the government’s Brexit proposals, in a fresh outbreak of infighting in the ruling Conservative camp.

Prime Minister Theresa May’s Brexit blueprint has divided her government and party as Britain prepares to leave the European Union in March.

Johnson on Sunday rejected as “deranged” and “preposterous” her plan to keep Britain close to the EU on trade.

Finance minister Philip Hammond hit back in an interview published on Monday in the Daily Mail.

He said Johnson had no grasp of detail and was unlikely to ever become prime minister.

Johnson is the bookmakers’ favourite to become the next Conservative leader. Some say his series of attacks on May are laying the groundwork for a leadership challenge.

Asked if Johnson could become PM, Hammond told the newspaper: “I don’t expect it to happen.

“Boris is a wonderful character, but he’s never been a detail man.”

He also slammed Johnson’s political career, saying his eight years as London mayor had produced a bicycle-hire scheme but little else in terms of memorable policy.

Johnson is due to speak on Tuesday at a pro-Brexit rally at the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham.

Members are divided between May’s strategy and a more clean break that Johnson and others are advocating.

Johnson quit as foreign secretary in July over the PM’s Brexit blueprint.

Since then, several figures have hit out at his sniping.

On the conference stage on Sunday, former business lobby chief Digby Jones branded Johnson “irrelevant and offensive”, while Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson called for a “period of silence” from Johnson. –