'Almost anybody' would be better PM than 'shoddy' Boris Johnson, Rory Stewart tells LBC
7 June 2022, 13:16 | Updated: 7 June 2022, 17:35
Boris Johnson 'very badly wounded' following no confidence vote
The former Cabinet Minister tells James O'Brien that Boris Johnson is in a 'very, very bad situation' after his 'catastrophic' no confidence vote.
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Pressure mounts on the Prime Minister after a party vote of confidence showed that 41% of his own MPs don't have confidence in his premiership.
Removing MPs on the government payroll, around three quarters of Conservative MPs are opposed to Boris Johnson leading the country.
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"The numbers are huge", Rory Stewart told James O'Brien.
"They thought they could keep it below 100. This is catastrophic for them. This is worse than what happened to Theresa May."
The former Conservative MP went on say he's been in touch with former colleagues who are "completely appalled and horrified" with how Boris Johnson is leading the party and the country, and even more shocked at how "he seems to be going on as if it's business as usual."
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"Is there any case for arguing that no matter how wounded he may be, he'll stagger on regardless?" James wondered. Mr Stewart feared that the PM will continue, to the detriment of both the Tory party and the UK as a whole.
"It's becoming a sort of weird personality cult."
When asked who should replace Boris Johnson at the helm, the former International Development Secretary declared that "almost anybody is better than him. I think he's one of the most terrible human beings imaginable."
"He's a terrible human being as well as a terrible Prime Minister", he clarified, adding that "200 Conservative MPs would make a better Prime Minister."
James quizzed Mr Stewart on Boris Johnson's close colleagues and whether they will be deterred by the no confidence vote. Mr Stewart said they wouldn't be, but the rest of the Conservative party should be.
"People should stay as far away from the man as possible."
