FORMER Tory cabinet minister Rory Stewart has said he would serve in a Labour government led by Keir Starmer.
Stewart, who ran for the leadership of the Conservative party in 2019, said he was impressed by the UK Labour leader during a live podcast show.
Starmer has been vocally trying to woo Tory voters in recent weeks and months, prompting a huge backlash after he praised Margaret Thatcher for “setting loose Britain’s natural entrepreneurialism”.
Stewart served as a minister in four different departments during his time in Government under the Tories, including environment, international development and prisons.
He was asked at a live podcast show at the Albert Hall on Thursday if he would consider taking on a ministerial role in a Labour government, to which he replied, "Yes."
Alastair Campbell, Stewart’s co-presenter on the Rest of Politics podcast and former Labour spin doctor, said: “It was interesting that one of the loudest cheers of the night came when he said he would happily be a Labour minister in the Lords.”
Speaking to the Financial Times, Stewart added: “I’d always be tempted to go back into government, but not sure I’d really do it. I would honestly have to see what kind of government it was.
“But yes, I am definitely jealous of friends who are ministers.”
Stewart would likely have to be given a seat in the House of Lords, for life, if he was to serve under a Labour government.
It is not unprecedented. Just last month, former Tory prime minister David Cameron was ennobled to allow him to take on the role of Foreign Secretary in Rishi Sunak’s Government.
There was a call for reform to the upper house following the appointment, as Cameron will not have to face MPs' questions on foreign affairs in the House of Commons, instead sending a junior minister.
And, on Sunday, First Minister Humza Yousaf said the Lords should be abolished after Michelle Mone’s disastrous BBC interview where she admitted she would profit from her involvement in a VIP lane PPE contract.
Mone also confirmed that she had lied to the press about her involvement in the scandal but insisted she had "no case to answer" and had done nothing wrong.
Earlier this year, Stewart said that he had “often” considered standing for election to the Scottish Parliament, adding that the idea was “very attractive” while promoting his latest book.
Meanwhile, Starmer quickly tried to backtrack on his praise of Thatcher after it prompted outrage, particularly in Scotland where the First Minister said the comments were an "insult" to Scottish communities.
At a Scottish Labour gala event shortly afterwards, Starmer insisted he was not a Thatcher fanboy after repeated jibes were made at him during FMQs.
