Two Tory MPs who resigned in protest from Boris Johnson’s government in July have now backed him to make a return as prime minister.
Reports suggest that the former Tory leader is flying home from a Caribbean holiday and “taking soundings” about a potential leadership bid, for which he needs the support of 100 Conservative MPs.
It is claimed he has been privately urging MPs to back him, saying he is the only candidate able to save them from electoral wipeout – and the endorsement of two former government abandonees has the potential to catalyse Mr Johnson’s second advance on No 10.
Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for Sleaford, and Jonathan Gullis, the MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, quit their governmental roles within two days of one another as part of a mass rebellion which eventually saw Mr Johnson bring an embittered end to a premiership beset by controversy and scandal.
Dr Johnson stood down as Tory party vice chair on the 7 July, the same morning Mr Johnson tendered his own resignation, because the “cumulative effect” of the then PM’s “errors of judgement and domestic actions” had “squandered the goodwill” of the Conservative party.
At the time, she said if Mr Johnson remained in No 10 that would “only damage our party and therefore our country.”
But in a startling change of heart on Friday, Dr Johnson told Times Radio she is now backing Mr Johnson to return as prime minister following the resignation of Liz Truss.
She joins the likes of Mr Gullis, who quit his role as parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on 5 July this year, accusing the Tory party of being “more focused on dealing with our reputational damage rather than delivering for the people of this country.”
Posting on Facebook on Friday, however, Mr Gullis said he “had lots of people from across Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke” telling him to “bring back Boris.”
Mr Johnson’s time in office showed Stoke-on-Trent and Kidsgrove are “forgotten no more”, the former PPS claimed, adding that the former PM had “got the big calls on Covid-19 right.”
He said: “I hope Boris will come back, and if he wins, MPs unite behind him, putting our great country and its people first in these very challenging global times.”
Back in June, however, Mr Gullis said he was resigning from Mr Johnson’s government “with a heavy heart”.
In a letter to the former prime minister at the time, he wrote: “I have been a member of the Conservative Party my entire adult life, a party I believe represents opportunity for all. I feel for too long we have been more focused on dealing with our reputational damage rather than delivering for the people of this country and spreading opportunity for all, which is why I came into politics.
“It is for this reason I can no longer to serve as part of your government.
“I will continue to focus on standing up for the people of Stoke-on-Trent North, Kidsgrove and Talke, protecting and preserving our heritage, creating new high skilled and high wage jobs locally and making sure people have access to the very best healthcare and education this country has to offer.”
Under the rules set out by Sir Graham Brady - the chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee - and party chairman Sir Jake Berry, nominations for the leadership contest will close at 2pm on Monday.
The first ballot of MPs will then be held between 3.30pm and 5.30pm on Monday - if there are three candidates with the required number of nominations, the loser will be eliminated.
Once there are two candidates remaining, an indicative vote will be held so that the party membership know which is the preferred option among MPs.
Members will be able to take part in an online vote to choose their next leader and the country’s prime minister with the contest due to conclude by 28 October.
