Senior Tory MP warns against driving Boris out of party
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has desperately sought to usher in an era of stability after the seemingly routine scandals that plagued the Conservative Party last year. His former boss Boris Johnson may now have stepped down as an MP, but he still looms large over British politics.
On Friday, Mr Johnson released his controversial 44-name list of resignation honours, notably including Priti Patel and Jacob Rees-Mogg. In the days since a war of words erupted with the Prime Minister over a claimed request to circumvent the vetting process.
This is also unlikely to be the last of Mr Johnson. After accusing the Privileges Committee of “egregious bias”, his fiery resignation statement concluded that he was “very sad” to be leaving, “at least for now.”
On Sunday, former UKIP leader and GB News host Nigel Farage suggested the pair of them could join forces to defend their “Brexit legacy”, claiming they were on the “same side” of the “biggest constitutional question we were facing in our lifetimes.”
A close ally of Mr Johnson has also said he could “set up his own party”. A recent poll of Express.co.uk readers suggests a broad base of support for the idea whoever he brings along with him.
In a poll that ran from 12pm on Monday, June 12, to 7am on Tuesday, June 13, Express.co.uk asked readers: “Should Boris Johnson start his own party?”
A total of 1,710 readers voted, with over two-thirds, 69 percent (1,188 votes) answering “Yes”, the former Prime Minister should forge his own way in parliamentary politics.
However, 29 percent (498 votes) said “No”, they would not support such a venture, while the remaining 24 readers confessed they did not know.
Dozens of comments were left below the accompanying article in which readers laid out their predictions and prescriptions.
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Many were critical of the way in which the Conservatives treated Mr Johnson. User Ricky1954 wrote: “One thing that Boris should not do is support, or go back to the Tory Party. They are finished after the way that they conspired to remove him after he had the proven mandate of the voting public and the Tory membership.”
Username MumzFerrari warned: “If the Conservative Parliamentary Party ignore the Conservative Party members’ votes for their leader, then this is exactly the downfall the MPs and undemocratically self-crowned PM are going to suffer.
“Ignore us at your peril. As, if the Party ignores us then we will ignore the party.”
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User fredegar pointed out: “If Johnson started his own party his pool of supporters would be a subset of Conservative voters which wouldn’t help either of them.”
Others advocated for the team-up much hinted at over the past few days. Username mag1234 wrote: “If Boris should join up with Nigel Farage I am sure that they would be unstoppable and the public would back them.”
Username CuriousLee, however, was more skeptical, saying: “Unfortunately, Boris would fall out with Farage, and everybody in the Reform party, so they’d end up getting rid of him.”
Some struck a more whimsical note, user peesmoldian observing: “Well, he’s had plenty of practice at having parties.”
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