Iain Dale wouldn't be surprised to see Boris Johnson return to frontline politics later this month.
Appearing on Good Morning Britain this morning alongside former Labour Party politician Jacqui Smith, the broadcaster described Johnson as 'an election winner' and warned viewers how the former prime minister shouldn't be ruled out of the running to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.
The political commentator stated he thinks Johnson would be better 'sitting this one out', but admitted 'Boris is Boris and he does what he likes'.
Thursday was another eventful day for British politics, with Liz Truss resigning from her position after just 44 days in No 10 - making her Britain's shortest-serving Prime Minister ever.
In a statement of just 88 seconds, Truss said she was unable to deliver on her mandate from the summer's Conservative Party leadership election.
Within hours of the Prime Minister resigning, it was reported that Boris Johnson is considering a sensational return to frontline politics - less than two months after he was ousted over a string of scandals, from Partygate to sleaze.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain live from Westminster, Iain pointed out how it's been reported that Johnson currently has the backing of 48 MPs to run as the next leader of the Conservative Party - more than Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt at the moment.
"The thing about Boris Johnson is the Conservative Party see him as an election winner," he explained on the ITV show this morning. "So we can't rule him out by any stretch of the imagination."
"Why would he stand?" Iain pondered when speaking to Susanna Reid.
He continued: "I think he'd be better sitting this one out and wait until the next one but Boris is Boris and he will do what he likes."
"If he gets through to the final two [in the leadership election] he will win - whether it's Sunak or Mordaunt.
"Tory backbenchers are a law upon themselves so I wouldn't be surprised if he gets the 100 [nominations to proceed to the ballot]."
Any Conservative Party MP that wishes to run in the leadership election will need the backing of 100 of their peers, with nominations starting this evening and closing at 2pm on Monday.
The final ballot will close at 11am on Friday 28 October and the new prime minister will be announced later the same day.
The Leader of the Opposition Sir Keir Starmer has called for a general election following Truss' resignation, saying: "The Conservative Party has shown it no longer has a mandate to govern.
"The Tories cannot respond to their latest shambles by yet again simply clicking their fingers and shuffling the people at the top without the consent of the British people.
"They do not have a mandate to put the country through yet another experiment; Britain is not their personal fiefdom to run how they wish.
He added: "The British public deserve a proper say on the country's future. They must have the chance to compare the Tories’ chaos with Labour’s plans to sort out their mess, grow the economy for working people and rebuild the country for a fairer, greener future. We must have a chance at a fresh start. We need a general election - now."
*Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV and ITVHub
