Boris woos Amber
He’s ready to give her job if she backs his leadership bid – but she’ll only accept if he stops backing No Deal
BORIS Johnson is ready to make Amber Rudd Britain’s first female Chancellor if she backs his leadership bid, sources said last night.
The former foreign secretary is ‘wooing’ Miss Rudd in a bid to broaden his appeal beyond the party’s Eurosceptic wing.
But Miss Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, has told friends she cannot support Mr Johnson while he keeps the door open to a No Deal Brexit.
The pair have clashed repeatedly over Brexit, with Miss Rudd instrumental in persuading the Prime Minister to rule out a No Deal departure.
At the height of the 2016 referendum campaign, Miss Rudd questioned his character, telling a televised debate: ‘He’s the life and soul of the party. But he’s not the man you want to drive you home at the end of the evening.’
However, friends say the pair ‘ get on well’ and, Brexit apart, share a similar ‘One Nation Tory’ outlook. ‘If you put Brexit to one side they share the same approach on a lot of issues,’ one said. ‘But Brexit is a big barrier.’
The pair have held two recent dinners to discuss a so-called ‘Bamber’ alliance when Theresa May steps aside.
One Tory source said Mr Johnson had told friends he is ready to offer Miss Rudd the Chancellor’s job if she backs him. ‘He is desperate to get Amber on board,’ the source said. ‘ It would show that he can reach out and unite the party. He will offer her the top job – the Treasury – if she agrees.’
An ally of Mr Johnson last night insisted he was not making any job offers to potential supporters, but confirmed he is in discussion with Miss Rudd about a possible pact.
‘He’s not offering anyone anything,’ the source said.
‘He did a bit of that last time and it didn’t end well. But have they been talking? Yes, they have.’
Miss Rudd, who deputised for Mrs May in the televised election debates in 2017, has all but abandoned her own leadership ambitions because of Eurosceptic hostility to her stance on Brexit.
But she is widely seen as a potential ‘kingmaker’, whose support could prove pivotal in the coming leadership contest. Jeremy Hunt is said to have offered her the post of Foreign Secretary in return for her backing.
Mr Johnson’s offer could see her become Britain’s first female Chancellor. Miss Rudd recently helped found the 50strong One Nation Group of moderate Tories, which will hold its own hustings during the leadership contest.
A source at the group said: ‘Any candidate looking for their support will need to be clearly against a No Deal Brexit.’ Mr Johnson has repeatedly spoken out in favour of a ‘managed No Deal’ to take Britain out of the EU.
This week he urged Mrs May to renegotiate her deal with Brussels, but added: ‘It would still be far better to get out with a standstill arrangement – a managed No Deal – that would give us time to negotiate a free trade agreement and solve issues raised in Northern Ireland.’ Mr Johnson has received the backing of a number of highprofile Eurosceptics, includprocess ing Jacob Rees-Mogg and Iain Duncan Smith. But his decision to vote for Mrs May’s deal at the third attempt last month has alienated some hardliners.
One ally said the prospects of an alliance might depend on the state of the Brexit when the leadership contest is eventually fought. ‘The PM is showing every sign that she intends to hang on until she has got a deal of some kind through,’ he said. ‘If that is the case and we have actually left, then the issue of No Deal falls away. ‘If we haven’t left when the contest comes then No Deal is going to be a huge issue and it is hard to see an alliance with Amber working.’ Mr Johnson’s 2016 leadership bid faltered when Andrea Leadsom, now Leader of the House, launched her own campaign after he failed to confirm a provisional offer to make her Chancellor. He withdrew after Michael Gove, now Environment Secretary, also abandoned him. Both are expected to run again.
‘State of Brexit key to any alliance’ ‘Would show he can unite party’