Boris Johnson’s father Stanley has said he hopes his son will run to become prime minister again.
Mr Johnson senior told TalkTV’s Piers Morgan Uncensored: “Frankly I have no idea whether Boris is going to be a candidate in this election, no idea at all, but I think he has a very strong record to be considered as a viable candidate and I very much hope he will let his name go forward.”
Despite his son’s divisive reputation, Mr Johnson - a former Conservative Party politician who served as Member of the European Parliament for Wight and Hampshire East from 1979 to 1984 insisted - that he could be a unifying force within the Conservative Party if he won. “Boris is my elder son. He’s going to be crucial in uniting these warring parts of the Tory party,” he said.
It comes after the sister of Boris Johnson claimed that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is a "Prime Minister in waiting" during a damning assessment of Liz Truss and her government.
Journalist and author Rachel Johnson appeared on a special edition of BBC Question Time, where she tore into the "irreparably split" Conservative party, and claimed that Starmer "looks and sounds like a Prime Minister". However, she dodged questions about her brother's future
Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries has said she is backing Boris Johnson to succeed Liz Truss as Tory leader. Ms Dorries said she had spoken to the former prime minister – who is currently believed to be on holiday in the Caribbean – following Ms Truss’s announcement but declined to say whether he had decided to run.
However, if he does throw his hat into the ring, she said she was confident he will get the 100 signatures needed to make it on to the ballot paper. Ms Dorries told Sky News: “There is only one MP who has the mandate of the British public, who won a general election only three years ago with an 80-seat majority, and that was Boris Johnson.”
“He is a known winner and that is certainly who I’m putting my name against because I want us to win the general election. Having a winner in place is what the party needs to survive. I am quite confident he will get the 100 signatures.”
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