Tory leadership contender Nadhim Zahawi has said he would be prepared to offer Boris Johnson a seat in cabinet if he wins the race for No 10.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is one of eight Conservative MPs to make it onto the first ballot to replace the current Prime Minister.
Zahawi also praised his fellow candidate Rishi Sunak when asked about the colleagues he is up against in the race.
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He told LBC radio: "Boris Johnson is a friend of mine of 30 years. If he wishes to serve in Cabinet, I would certainly offer him a job.
"He has been probably the most consequential Prime Minister of his generation. He has delivered Brexit."
Ahead of the Government's response to public sector pay review body recommendations - expected next week - Zahawi warned public-sector workers that they cannot expect inflationary pay awards.
He said: "Inflation is the one thing that would hurt us. We have to make sure that it abates, and abates quickly.
"My message to all the public-sector workers - the brilliant public-sector workers - is we have to be fair and disciplined."
Speaking about Sunak, he said: "Colleagues will be making their minds up. There is a lot of undeclared colleagues remain. Rishi out in the lead, no doubt. He is a very talented man, he would make a great prime minister."
"But I think I can deliver. I am the man who has a track record of operational competence. I have the track record of delivering the (Covid) vaccine."
Zahawi insisted his promises to bring forward tax cuts are fully costed.
"My pledges are fully costed. I will publish them. I will demonstrate where I find the headroom to deliver this next year. As we see inflation abate, the debt interest payments should also come down," he said.
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