Former Conservative foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt has warned the Tories have “a big mountain to climb” to win another term as he refused to rule out a contest for the top job before the 2024 election.
It comes after the latest tranche of partygate fines issued by the Metropolitan Police left Boris Johnson and the Cabinet Secretary unscathed. Amid the episode’s fallout and following bruising losses in last week’s local elections, Mr Hunt told The Times Magazine it was not the “right time” for a leadership change due to the war in Ukraine.
“But I would be very open with you that I don’t rule out a return in the future,” he added. Speaking to Times Radio, he also said the “setbacks” the party suffered in the local elections were not just “mid-term blues” but reflected the cost-of-living crisis.
