London (Parliament Politic Magazine) – Kwarteng urges Sunak to bring back Boris, warns Tories of potential wipeout, stresses need for party unity amid electoral challenges
Former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng urges that Rishi Sunak should “swallow some pride” and bring back the “electoral force” that is Boris Johnson.
Kwarteng, who revealed earlier this week that he would be standing down as an MP at the general election, also expressed that the prime minister must “work on his outreach” with backbench Tory MPs also thinking about quitting.
“Kwasi Kwarteng is such a wise man.”
No-one said.
Ever. pic.twitter.com/s6S6VPhQg4
— The Purple Pimpernel (@Eyeswideopen69) February 11, 2024
The MP’s outspoken criticism of his party leader on Sunday arrived amid fresh indications of a revitalized clamor among supporters of Johnson for him to return in some format, with calls in the Mail and Sunday and Sunday Telegraph as the Tories confront a potential electoral wipeout.
The former prime minister and Conservative leader anticipates his successor to telephone him personally if he desires to ask for his help campaigning in the general election, the Sunday Telegraph also conveyed.
On Sunday, Kwarteng expressed in an interview with GB News: “I’ve always been a big Boris fan. He had excellent success as an electoral force. We’re 20 points behind, and the polls haven’t really moved in the last year. So it’s not time to say ‘more of the same.’ Something has to change for us to have a chance of winning.
“And if that means swallowing some pride and you’re suppressing a bit of ego by reaching out to someone who’s an approved campaigner, then he should do that.”
A source said: “We want the whole Conservative family to unite to beat Starmer and Labour at the next election. Of course, Boris and everyone else united in that aim will be welcome.”
Kwarteng, who headed the ill-fated “mini-budget” under the shortlived government of Liz Truss, stated the prime minister had not called him to ask him to change his mind after declaring that he would not stand again as an MP. Still, while he stated that he would not have expected that from a busy prime minister, he added that Sunak “needed to work on his outreach with backbenchers” if he was to have a chance of winning around others planning to quit.
Kwarteng, who represents Spelthorne in Surrey, said his decision to stand down had been personal because it was time “to move on,” but he conceded that his party’s poor standing in the polls was also a factor.
“I think that we’re facing a difficult election has something to do with it. You’ve got to be honest about that,” added the former chancellor, who joins dozens of other Tory MPs who have announced that they will not contest the election.
More than 80 sitting MPs have revealed they will leave parliament at the next election, more than the 74 who retired in 2019.
Read More: Watchdog Concludes: Rishi Sunak Violated Parliament’s Code of Conduct
As chancellor, Kwarteng was indicted of delivering a reckless mini-budget for the rich after his £45bn tax-cutting package sent the pound to its lowest level against the dollar in 37 years.
He has since declared thousands of pounds from media appearances. He was due to start advising an Australian iron ore mining company on its clean energy ambitions from October – a year after his disastrous mini-budget crashed the pound.