Johnson ally condemns ‘self-serving’ rivals with no chance of winning leadership

TORY MPs who have put themselves forward for party leadership despite having no realistic prospect of success are “self-serving”, an ally of Boris Johnson has said.

Johnny Mercer said that the leadership contest, which already has 12 candidates, looks “ridiculous” and resembles a “skit”.

Tomorrow, the 1922 Committee will meet to discuss changing the rules so that any candidates need the backing of 12 Tory MPs to stand.

Mr Mercer said: “The lack of selfawareness is incredible. It is ridiculous. One candidate told me he was standing because his tweets were favourited much more than the front-runners. One told me he was standing because his association thought he should.

“I would say that the current lack of self-awareness among colleagues is a good indicator of precisely how far we have removed ourselves from our activists and our base. I don’t think they sit down and think this is about selfpromotion, I don’t think their political antennae is in tune enough with the country. They have misjudged the mood of the country.”

Nigel Evans, joint executive secretary of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, said: “Perish the thought, but there is a view that some people are just taking the mickey and just using it as a device to get jobs in Cabinet.”

Mr Mercer, a prominent supporter of Mr Johnson, said that many of the former foreign secretary’s critics are in fact jealous of his talents.

“People go for Boris because he is good. In previous places where I’ve worked where someone does well, everyone is happy. It lifts the whole ship.

“In Parliament, instead of embracing people’s talents, there’s an innate jealousy. There is far too much jealousy among my colleagues towards Boris.

“Boris is a winner. He makes you feel like the Tories are something you want to be in and part of again. I made a very calculated decision at the beginning of this that this was not my moment. This required a very specific solution.”

On a no-deal Brexit, he said that there has been a “rerun of Project Fear”. “We’re not trying to do Dunkirk, we are not trying to do D-Day,” he said. “We are leaving a political union. People haven’t got a lot of time for it [Project Fear].”

Meanwhile, Phillip Lee, the Remain Tory MP for Bracknell, yesterday lost a no-confidence vote by his local Conservative association over his position on Brexit. Dr Lee said he would not be “forced into taking a decision” on his future by an “orchestrated, destructive campaign from outside the party”.

‘It is ridiculous. One told me he was standing as his tweets were favourited more than the front-runners’