Friday, 29 Mar 2024

Boris Johnson warned: Lidington tells Tory leadership hopeful ‘don’t take win for granted’

Boris Johnson has emerged as the leading candidate to take over the reins of the country after he secured the backing of 114 MPs in the first Tory leadership contest ballot on Thursday. The former Foreign Secretary has insisted he would strive to deliver Brexit “with or without a deal” and bring the country together in the aftermath of the withdrawal from the European Union. But de-facto deputy Prime Minister David Lidington warned Mr Johnson, who has become a favourite to win the top seat, he should not take a win “for granted.”

Speaking to BBC podcast Political Thinking, Mr Lidington said: “If you look at the history, Heath wasn’t the favourite, Thatcher wasn’t the favourite, Major wasn’t the favourite, Hague wasn’t the favourite, Duncan Smith wasn’t the favourite. Cameron, May were not the favourites at the start.

“I think it’s still very open. No candidate can take things for granted and shouldn’t.

“It would be very arrogant and complacent of anybody to take things for granted.”

The remaining six candidates in the contest – Mr Johnson, Dominic Raab, Sajid Javid, Rory Stewart, Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove – will face off in a televised debate on Tuesday before a second ballot is held on June 18.

LISTEN HERE: Latest Brexit news from the Express.co.uk Final Countdown podcast

Further ballots will take place until only two candidates remain in the running before the first husting event takes place on June 22. The Conservative Party has predicted the new Prime Minister will be able to take his place by July 22.

Mr Lidington suggested the arrival of a new leader could spur the European Union to meet again with British negotiators to discuss new proposals for changes to the withdrawal agreement.

He continued: “I think there will be a moment, when the new Prime Minister comes into office, that the Europeans at least will feel they have a duty to give that person a hearing.

“I think they will be wanting to know what it is that new Prime Minister wants to deliver an orderly UK departure and they will want to be confident that such a concession, if they make it, will be enough to provide a majority in the House of Commons.”

Brussels diplomats will push another “technical extension” in order to sure up the bloc’s no deal contingency measures if the next British Prime Minister fails to strike a deal with the bloc, according to Express.co.uk sources.

This would see the UK remain an EU member for a “maximum of two months” to allow both sides to get their houses in order before the divorce, an EU diplomat has claimed. 

Sources also believe that the next prime minister will have to request a short delay if they can convince MPs in Westminster to support a tweaked version of Theresa May’s Brexit deal.

Diplomats have been told by London that the process of ratifying the deal could take as long as three months.

The revelation could leave Mr Johnson in a sticky position after he pledged to leave on October 31 – with or without a deal.

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