Some desperate Tories are plotting to bring back Boris Johnson
Just when you think that things can’t get any worse, faced with choice between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer for Prime Minister at the forthcoming general election we are now told that a plot is developing to ditch Sunak and reinstall Boris Johnson in an effort to restore the Tory party’s fortunes.
Johnson (59) resigned as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip in June last year and there has been talk in Conservative circles of him making a possible comeback ever since. The Telegraph quoted one Tory backbench MP saying “There are many in the party who don’t think we have a hope in hell of winning unless Boris comes back. Of course, there are some who can’t forgive him for Partygate but we are running out of ideas.”
Another chipped in, stating “Sunak can’t complain. He doesn’t like it and he isn’t any good at it. Boris’s campaigning capability is the most vital part of what the problem is right now. With the present incumbent and his wet chancellor, neither can move the dial but Boris could make a difference.”
It would appear that the plotters’ plan is for Johnson to contest the seat for Henley, the constituency he represented between 2001 and 2006, but that looks like it is destined to fail.
Caroline Newton, recently chosen to fight the seat for the Tories, was asked on LBC if she would stand down in favour of Johnson replying “I’d say absolutely not.”
So, it is back to the drawing board for the plotters, but with 60 Tory MPs announcing that they will not fight their seats at the next general election, they will striving to parachute Johnson into a safe seat – hopefully they will fail.