Former Tory minister and longtime opponent of the Prime Minister accuses him of having an “extraordinary ego.”
Boris Johnson may seek a political return similar to “Berlusconi or Trump,” according to a former Conservative minister.
Ex-Conservative MP Rory Stewart, who campaigned for the leadership in 2019, accused the outgoing prime minister of having an “extraordinary ego” and claiming he was “badly treated” when he was removed from Downing Street.
He told that Mr. Johnson “doesn’t understand the truth, which is that he was a poor prime minister and lost his office due to serious character faults.”
Mr. Stewart added, about the 85-year-old former Italian prime minister who has expressed a desire to return to politics as well as the ongoing debate in the American Republican party, “I fear we will end up with a second [Silvio] Berlusconi or a second [Donald] Trump attempting to return to politics.”
The former international development secretary’s comments come a week before the winner of the Tory leadership battle between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, who will also assume the keys to Downing Street, is announced.
Polling indicates that if given the choice, Conservative voters would prefer that Mr. Johnson remain in office over either contender.
And several members of parliament have expressed “buyer’s remorse” over the party’s removal of him from office due to his selection of Chris Pincher as chief whip despite charges of inappropriate behavior, the party gate affair, and other ethical difficulties.
In a separate interview with the Guardian, Mr. Stewart described the Prime Minister as “dangerous” and stated that there are still “party members who want him back.”
He continued, “I believe we should remind everyone why he left. He should have left significantly earlier. What he did was extremely, extremely reprehensible – and dangerous.”
Mr. Johnson is leaving office to be replaced by Ms. Truss or Mr. Sunak, the former member of parliament replied, “the jury is still out.”
He seemed to take issue with Ms. Truss’ campaign, which has centered on tax cuts, when he said, “One of the things that are concerning is the tendency of everyone, and I believe all candidates are dragged into this, to make promises that sound good but either can’t be delivered or turn out to be harmful.
“I am especially concerned about these promises of tax cuts at a time when inflation is accelerating and I believe our public sector needs assistance.”
As the new president of Give Directly, an international charity that allows supporters to transfer money directly to the homes of the world’s poorest people, it seems doubtful that Mr. Stewart will return to frontline politics.
