In an interview with the Guardian, Rory Stewart told People they needed to be reminded that Johnson was forced to stand down – following a series of scandals – because some supporters wanted Johnson to “come back”. Several of Johnson’s allies believe his critics will end up removing him from office once his successor takes office and will dismiss the poor polling as midterm blues. But some Tory MPs have privately expressed concerns that the party could lose the next general election, in part because of the damage Johnson has caused – evidenced by a string of election defeats and no lead in the polls since December 2021 . Stewart, who is running against Johnson in the 2019 Tory leadership election, called Johnson “dangerous” and said “there are people who want him back”. He added: “I think we need to remind people why he left. He should have gone much, much earlier. What he did was deeply, deeply shameful – and dangerous.” Stewart feared Johnson might attempt a political comeback and likened him to other ousted leaders, saying: “He’s trying to do an Imran Khan or a Berlusconi. He’ll be hovering around, hoping for a populist comeback.” Former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, 85, has announced his desire to return to politics in next month’s election after a career mired in scandal, while former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan has set his sights on a comeback after losing an impeachment . vote earlier this year. But some of Johnson’s supporters are convinced that those who turned against him will regret it. A former adviser to Johnson in No 10 said he may seek to emulate Churchill, who had two separate terms as prime minister. “She agrees with most Tories that Liz is very likely to be a disaster,” the source said, suggesting that Truss could mount a leadership challenge herself before the next election. “A refreshed and perhaps more contrite Boris who offers optimism after much darkness may appeal to MPs and members alike.” Conservative MP Michael Fabricant said: “I have been talking about ‘buyers’ remorse’ – those ministers who bought into the argument that Boris should go – for some time. This may increase in the coming months.” A government source suggested Johnson would initially “focus on cultivating his international image rather than Westminster games” but would not disappear from domestic politics entirely. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “While he’ll be happier to have Liz as Prime Minister than Rishi, he’ll be desperate to get back as Prime Minister and if there’s even the slightest chance he’ll do what he can to help that’s my bet,” they said. . But one desperate Johnson ally said there was “no point now in having sellers’ remorse”. “MPs who thought we were going to have a nice and friendly leadership race were misled,” they said. “We could have a focused government led by Boris the cost of living and the war in Ukraine. Instead, they wring their hands when their colleagues say nasty things on Twitter.” Johnson’s chance of another shot at the leadership could hinge on a privilege committee inquiry into whether he misled parliament by repeatedly denying that Covid laws were broken during Downing Street parties. The seven-member committee suffered the resignation of a Conservative MP over the summer, Laura Farris. He must be formally removed from office by a vote of the Commons when he returns. Sources said it would be difficult to find someone to replace her who would not attract accusations of bias over any previous Partygate comments. However, there are a number of Tory MPs who keep a low profile and have little social media presence who can be approached.
