The “world has moved on” from Boris Johnson, a senior cabinet minister has said, as he sought to quell the intensifying row among Tory MPs about the former prime minister’s decision to quit parliament.
Despite Johnson resigning on Friday in a fit of rage over the results of an inquiry into Partygate, the energy secretary, Grant Shapps, slapped down claims the privileges committee conducting the inquiry was biased or that Johnson had been forced out by the “establishment”.
Shapps suggested it was wrong to say the prime minister, Rishi Sunak, had promised Johnson that several of his allies would be given peerages at a meeting between the two last week. “Occasionally Boris wouldn’t be all over the detail – I don’t know if that’s what happened in this particular case,” Shapps told Sky News.
Shapps pointed out that the privileges committee had a Conservative majority, and said the seven MPs on it should be allowed to “get on with their work”.
Sounding distinctly cool about the prospects of a comeback by Johnson, Shapps said his administration was riddled with drama and that “the world has moved on”.
Instead of delivering the well-rehearsed line about ousted politicians still having much to offer public life, the energy secretary added: “I’m sure he’s got many other things he wants to get on and do.”
Shapps slapped down suggestions from Tory MPs such as Jake Berry, who claimed the former prime minister had been forced out by an establishment “blob” that hated Brexit. “I don’t feel that way,” said Shapps. “He’s the one who’s removed himself from the current political scene.”
No 10 was now under “new management”, Shapps continued, arguing that Sunak was best placed to handle many of the new challenges that had emerged since Johnson left office.
Guto Harri, Johnson’s final director of communications in No 10, said Johnson had decided to go on his own terms instead of “being dragged kicking and screaming” out of parliament, before the expected conclusions of the privileges committee. The committee is believed to have recommended a suspension from parliament of more than 10 days, which would probably have triggered a byelection that he was at risk of losing.
Harri said Johnson’s immediate plans would be to “lick his wounds”.
“Rishi is now doing the job that Boris used to do. Now, none of us feel very good about people doing that if it’s been forced on us,” he said.
Harri argued that Sunak was not as charismatic and there would be “certain disadvantages” for the Conservative party fighting the general election under his leadership compared with that of Johnson. But he added that the prime minister was hardworking and more detail-oriented.
Labour argued a general election was the only way to stop the chaos in the Conservative party plaguing the country. Keir Starmer said Sunak was not strong enough to “stand up to the Tory berserkers determined to drag the country down with them”. He urged the prime minister to “finally find a backbone” and “let the public have their say on 13 years of Tory failure”. He added: “This farce must stop. People have had enough.”
