Sunak’s answer to Peston’s question on Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson’s downfall has seen him go from a Conservative prime minister who won an 80-seat majority to no longer having a seat in Parliament within a year.
The former MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip was forced to leave Number 10 after a Tory revolt at his antics during lockdown when a number of gatherings were held in Downing Street.
Things got worse for the ex-PM when the Privileges Committee ruled that he had misled Parliament with his Partygate statements, forcing him out of British politics altogether as he stepped down as an MP.
Following the Committee’s findings, he told his supporters that he was “forced out of parliament by a tiny handful of people” despite winning swathes of support in 2019 with his pro-Brexit manifesto.
Mr Johnson said after the report was published: “The Conservative Party has the time to recover its mojo and its ambition and to win the next election. I had looked forward to providing enthusiastic support as a backbench MP.”
READ MORE: Relentless pursuit of Boris and Brexiteers has turned UK into a banana republic
The former PM still holds influence over the Tory Party, and some believe he can still play a role in keeping the Conservatives in power by being offered a safe seat at the next general election.
Those hopes were dented yesterday when Express.co.uk revealed that the Conservatives have abandoned the selection process for the Henley constituency, a seat the former PM was thought to be considering targeting following a move to the Cotswolds.
His party, now led by Rishi Sunak, continues to languish behind Labour in the polls, with a recent survey finding that Sir Keir Starmer has further increased its lead over the Tories by three points to 19 percent.
Mr Sunak’s struggle to revamp his party’s image has led to concerns that Labour could work with other parties such as the Lib Dems or the SNP to gain a majority the next time voters go to the polls – potentially threatening Brexit and opening the prospect of the UK bulding closer ties with the European Union.
Do you think Boris Johnson should be given a Tory safe seat in the next general election? Have your say in the comments section below.
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