Boris Johnson’s allies today dismissed talk of a Brexit general election pact with Nigel Farage to ward off the threat from Labour – as he won the backing of former rival Matt Hancock.
Supporters of the Tory front runner insisted he did not ‘need’ to do a deal with Mr Farage, despite the rising threat from his new party.
The rebuke came amid claims Conservative donors are plotting a tie-up with Mr Farage that could prevent the Eurosceptic vote from splitting at a general election – which many fear will come sooner rather than later with Labour threatening an early no-confidence motion against a new PM.
The arrangement could mean the Brexit Party does not field candidates against Tories they see as committed to making a clean break from the EU.
Any deal could cover dozens of seats, helping to protect Brexiteers who might be vulnerable to Labour opponents if Mr Farage’s team took a chunk of their vote. In return the Tories could step aside in northern metropolitan constituencies where the Brexit Party is best placed to win.
Underlining the strength of the challenge from the Brexit Party, a poll yesterday puts its support on 24 per cent, three points ahead of both the Tories and Labour.
Mr Johnson’s procession towards Downing Street gathered pace today as Matt Hancock backed him – amid claims he has already started promising Cabinet jobs.
The Health Secretary dropped out on Friday after a disappointing result in the first round ballot, but has now put himself in the running to be the next Chancellor by endorsing the favourite.
Michael Gove also appeared to be trying to smooth relations this morning, rejecting the idea that Mr Johnson should be ruled out on grounds of ‘moral probity’ and saying he ‘has what it takes’ to be PM.
However, Mr Johnson is facing more criticism over his ‘submarine’ campaign strategy of minimising scrutiny.
Having snubbed the first Tory leadership TV debate last night, Mr Johnson stayed away from hustings with political journalists today.
Mr Johnson (pictured leaving his London home today) is looking unstoppable for next PM
Mr Stewart has been installed as second favourite in the Tory leadership race – albeit a long way behind Mr Johnson
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (pictured out running today) is Mr Johnson’s closest challenger – but came a distant second in the first round of voting last week
Justice Secretary David Gauke laid into Mr Johnson on Twitter today as tensions rose
Johnny Leavesley, the head of the Midlands Industrial Council – the Tories’ biggest donor group – wrote in the Telegraph today that the next PM ‘needs to be willing to work with Farage’.
‘Farage knows he can’t win a general election outright and many Conservatives will realise that is also their truth. A Brexit-Conservative pact might lose the Tories much of their liberal wing, but it would give clarity over Brexit and be the key to enough popularity to save them. In essence, the next prime minister needs to be willing to work with Farage,’ he wrote.
Where could a Tory-Brexit pact help see off Labour at an election?
Here are some of the constituencies where a pact between the Tories and the Brexit Party could help keep Labour out.
THURROCK
Held by: Conservative, Jackie Doyle-Price
Majority: 0.7 per cent over Labour.
Brexit referendum vote: 70.3 per cent
Rother Valley
Labour, Kevin Barron
Majority over Conservatives: 7.8 per cent
Brexit referendum vote: 66.9 per cent
MANSFIELD
Conservative, Ben Bradley
Majority: 2.1 per cent over Labour
Brexit referendum vote: 70.9
GREAT GRIMSBY
Labour, Melanie Onn
Majority: 7.2 per cent over Conservatives
Brexit referendum vote: 70.2 per cent
STOKE-ON-TRENT NORTH
Labour, Ruth Smeeth
Majority: 5.7 per cent over Conservatives
Brexit referendum vote: 72.1 per cent
WALSALL NORTH
Conservative, Eddie Hughes
Majority: 6.8 per cent over Labour
Brexit referendum vote: 71.9 per cent
ASHFIELD
Labour, Gloria de Piero
Majority: 0.9 per cent over Conservatives
Brexit referendum vote: 70.6 per cent
STOKE-ON-TRENT SOUTH
Conservative, Jack Brereton
Majority: 1.6 per cent
Brexit referendum vote: 70.8 per cent
However, Brexit minister James Cleverly said if Mr Johnson became PM he would not need to do a deal with Mr Farage.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I can’t see that is something he would want to do and it is not anything he would need to do.
‘He is able to win elections with Conservatives and Conservative support. He didn’t broach electoral pacts in London and I can’t imagine he would need to broach electoral pacts at this point.’
During the Tory leadership TV debate last night, Rory Stewart was the only one of the five candidates present who said they would be willing to talk to Mr Farage about how to secure Brexit.
The International Development Secretary insisted Mr Farage was the ‘man that led the Leave campaign’ in the 2016 referendum.
But a clearly infuriated Michael Gove retorted: ‘Nigel Farage is not the face of Brexit.’
Jeremy Hunt said Mr Farage’s ‘first choice’ was Brexit on basic World Trade organisation terms, and that should not be the Tory position.
Sajid Javid said: ‘You don’t beat the Brexit Party by becoming the Brexit Party.’
Mr Farage told the Telegraph: ‘I have had a couple of approaches from people saying ‘wouldn’t this be a good idea?’ To which I say ‘to do what? Just to keep the Tories inside No10 and us in the EU?”
He added: ‘I don’t trust any of them [the leadership candidates] to deliver a genuine Brexit and unless that situation changes, we are gearing up as an organisation to fight every seat in the country.’
Chancellor Philip Hammond will not survive the changeover to a Johnson regime, meaning the prized spot at No11 is up for grabs.
Treasury chief secretary Liz Truss has been pushing hard for the job, having backed Mr Johnson from the start.
However, allies of Mr Johnson said he had been ‘inspired’ by Mr Hancock’s campaign and it is understood the pair spoke several times over the weekend.
Mr Hancock said he ‘wholeheartedly endorsed’ Mr Johnson who he said can ‘bring the party and country together’ by ‘dominating the centre ground’.
He praised Mr Johnson’s ‘disciplined campaign’ and argued he is ‘almost certain’ to be the next PM.
‘We need to unite behind him with a strong team that can bring the party together and then bring the country together,’ he told The Times.
‘I have repeatedly argued for a strategy of defeating the danger of Farage by delivering Brexit and defeating the danger of Corbyn by dominating the centre ground thereafter. That is Boris’s plan and I wholeheartedly endorse it.’
Mr Gove admitted he was disappointed by Mr Hancock’s decision.
‘He is a friend of mine and I know that over the course of the weekend he had a very tough decision to make,’ he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
‘Without going into private conversations, I know that he was alternating between supporting Boris and supporting me.
‘He felt that we were the two strongest candidates in the race.’
During his interview, Mr Gove was repeatedly pressed on whether Mr Johnson’s ‘morality’ should rule him out of the battle for No10.
‘I would dismiss that altogether,’ he said. ‘Moral probity does matter. But I think that all of the candidates who are standing to be leader, in my view, are capable of being prime minister.
‘I personally think that Boris and all the other candidates are people who on every ground have what it takes to be a potentially good prime minister.’
Supporters of the Tory front runner insisted he did not ‘need’ to do a deal with Nigel Farage (pictured outside No10 earlier this month) despite the rising threat from his new party
Matt Hancock pictured at Parliament after quitting the Tory leader race on Friday, having securing just 20 votes in the first round – and has now endorsed Boris Johnson
Rory Stewart told GMB today (pictured) that if he worked for Boris Johnson he would have to ‘advocate for a no deal Brexit that I think can’t be delivered’
An empty podium was left by Channel 4 to embarrass Boris Johnson after he snubbed the Tory leadership debate last night
He added: ‘There have been various attempts to to mount personal attacks against him and against some other candidates.
‘I think that is wrong. Look, in the past, I have had my criticisms and differences with Boris.
‘But I believe he is somebody who is capable of being prime minister.’
Mr Hancock quit the race after securing just 20 votes in the first round with an admission that the party was not looking for the ‘candidate of the future’ but ‘a candidate for the unique circumstances we face right now’.
Mr Johnson’s team insisted no offers of a job in a future cabinet had been discussed. Mr Hancock is seen as a potential chancellor or business secretary in a Johnson administration.
Boris vows fast broadband in every home by 2025 – but doesn’t say how much it will cost
Boris Johnson vowed to put fast broadband in every home by 2025 today – but faced a backlash about how he will pay for the pledge.
The Government is currently aiming to have completed the rollout of full-fibre broadband to 100 per cent of homes by 2033, a target Mr Johnson described as ‘laughably unambitious’.
But the Tory leadership frontrunner said the pledge would be delivered within ‘five years at the outside’ if he becomes the next prime minister.
Justice Secretary David Gauke, who is on the Remain wing of the party, said every intervention by Mr Johnson was increasing borrowing by billions.
In a swipe at ministers such as Matt Hancock who are angling for a top job under Mr Johnson, he tweeted: ‘If Boris wins, good luck to whoever becomes his Chancellor.
‘It would be a noble act of self-sacrifice to accept the job. Who’d do it?’
It came as Mr Johnson’s campaign was buoyed by a poll showing voters believe he is the only leadership candidate who can win the next election. The YouGov poll for the Sunday Times showed the Brexit Party was now ahead of both the Tories and Labour.
It put Nigel Farage’s party on 24 per cent, three points ahead of Labour and the Tories on 21 per cent with the Lib Dems close behind on 19 per cent. A total of 47 per cent think Mr Johnson can see off Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage and only 22 per cent disagree.
Just 15 per cent say his nearest rival, Jeremy Hunt, can win the Tories another term in power. It also suggested Mr Johnson was the only candidate who would persuade voters to turn to the Tories. Some 22 per cent said they were more likely to vote Tory if he was leader.
None of his rivals scored more than 8 per cent. But 59 per cent of voters said they wouldn’t buy a used car from Mr Johnson.
The endorsement comes despite Mr Hancock having turned his fire on Mr Johnson in the early stages of the contest over his attacks on business.
Mr Johnson reportedly said ‘f*** business’ in fury at the CBI and other business groups trying to spread scaremongering stories about No Deal.
Mr Hancock argued Mr Johnson had the ‘wrong attitude’ and told the BBC’s Today programme that it was vital for the Tories to ‘back business and not bash business’.
‘We need to support businesses because they’re the ones who create the jobs.’
Yesterday Mr Johnson fuelled rumours of an early general election after footage emerged of him saying he would ‘get Brexit done and get ready for an election’.
The comments came at hustings with party members on Saturday, but Mr Johnson’s team furiously denied the claim. They said he had repeatedly ruled out an early election and argued he was referring to the election in 2022.
Rory Stewart surges to SECOND favourite in Tory leader race
Rory Stewart lashed out at Boris Johnson for not having a ‘plan’ on Brexit today after making a shock surge into second place in the Tory leadership betting.
The International Development Secretary launched a withering attack on the front runner after bookmakers had him leapfrogging Jeremy Hunt as the closest challenger.
The criticism came at a hustings event with journalists in Westminster – which Mr Johnson has opted to snub as his ‘submarine’ strategy continues.
Mr Hunt also taunted the favourite this morning, saying he needed to find some ‘Churchillian courage’.
Mr Stewart has won more backers overnight after putting in a strong performance in the Channel 4 TV debate, with minister Margot James and Scottish Tory Paul Masterson declaring their support.
But he again flip-flopped today over whether he would serve in a Mr Johnson Cabinet, telling Good Morning Britain he ‘100 per cent’ would not.
Mr Johnson also won the endorsement of former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey and former Scotland Yard boss Bernard Hogan-Howe – now a cross-bench peer – who described him as a ‘really great mayor’ of London.
Meanwhile, a new poll gave Mr Johnson a major boost and dashed the hopes of Mr Stewart.
It found more than three quarters of Tory members believe the former foreign secretary would make a good leader but fewer than one in three thought the same about the International Development Secretary.
The YouGov survey reinforces the view that if Mr Johnson makes it onto the final ballot paper when two candidates are put to grassroots activists to choose from he will be almost impossible to stop.
Some 77 per cent of Conservative Party members believe Mr Johnson would make a good Tory leader while just 19 per cent believe he would do a poor job.
Mr Johnson is also viewed by the general public as the candidate most likely to make a good leader as he was backed by 31 per cent of voters.
Mr Stewart was the only remaining Tory leadership contender who failed to be viewed positively by a majority of Tory members.
Just 31 per cent said Mr Stewart would be a good leader compared to 50 per cent who said he would be a poor choice.
The poll will be welcomed by Dominic Raab who had the second highest rating among the Tory grassroots.
Some 68 per cent said the former Brexit secretary would make a good leader and 21 per cent said he would be a bad choice.
What happens next? ‘Stop Boris’ Tory leadership hopefuls now locked in a battle for second place to make it onto the final ballot paper
The field of Tory leadership challengers has been whittled down to six after three candidates were ousted at the first ballot of MPs on Thursday and Matt Hancock opted to withdraw on Friday.
Those still standing now have one day in which to persuade more of their Conservative colleagues to back their bids before the second round of voting takes place tomorrow.
At this point the race is entirely about momentum. Boris Johnson has cemented his status as the favourite after he secured 114 votes – enough to effectively guarantee he is one of the final two candidates.
But for the remaining five candidates, it is all still to play for.
Four Tory leadership challengers are now out of the race for Number 10. Esther McVey, Andrea Leadsom and Mark Harper were eliminated in the first round of voting while Matt Hancock has chosen to withdraw from the race
What is happening today?
Five of the six remaining leadership candidates will face a grilling by political journalists at an event in Parliament.
The candidates will take it in turns to face 20 minutes of questions but Mr Johnson is not taking part.
There will also be another hustings event, this one in front of Tory MPs, featuring all of the candidates as they seek to win further support.
What happens on Tuesday?
Tory MPs will vote for the second time in what is likely to be a make or break moment in the race to succeed Theresa May.
There will be six candidates to choose from but only Mr Johnson will have any certainty about making it to the next stage.
Anyone not named Mr Johnson will now have the same goal: To finish in second place and make it onto the final ballot paper alongside Mr Johnson.
Jeremy Hunt came second in Thursday’s vote with the support of 43 of his colleagues.
But none of the other remaining candidates are too far behind and all of them will be hopeful of hoovering up at least some of the MPs who backed the four candidates who are no longer in the race.
They will need at least 33 votes to progress to the third vote but if all of the six candidates manage to get past that threshold, whoever has the fewest votes will be eliminated.
The Foreign Secretary came second in the first round of voting and will now be hoping to persuade Tory MPs that he is the candidate capable of challenging Boris Johnson
Rory Stewart faces the biggest challenge after he only secured the support of 19 MPs in the first round.
Mr Johnson’s grip on the contest is expected to grow still further after he picked up the support of former rivals Mr Hancock and Esther McVey.
Once the second ballot has finished and at least one candidate has been eliminated there will then be a televised leadership debate on BBC One at 8pm hosted by Emily Maitlis.
Mr Johnson has said he will take part after snubbing one held by Channel 4 on Sunday.
What happens after the second round of voting on Tuesday?
It is the job of Tory MPs to cut the list of candidates to two and after Tuesday’s vote there will then follow further ballots on Wednesday and, if necessary, on Thursday, until the chosen pair remain.
The number of further ballots needed will be determined by whether trailing candidates opt to withdraw from the contest but the third ballot is scheduled for Wednesday while the fourth and fifth would take place on Thursday.
What happens once there are two candidates left?
The Conservative Party’s estimated 160,000 members will be asked to choose who they want to be their next leader.
The final two will have to face 16 leadership hustings events across the nation with the first due to be held in Birmingham on June 22 and the last one taking place in London in the week starting July 15.
Ballot papers are expected to sent out to members between July 6-8.
The overall winner of the contest is due to be announced in the week of July 22.
Mrs May will then go to see the Queen to formally resign and the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party will be invited to Buckingham Palace to form a new government.
Who could the MPs who supported the four eliminated candidates now back?
Mr Johnson has racked up endorsements from both Esther McVey and Matt Hancock over the weekend – increasing his already impressive tally.
The support will be hugely disappointing to Mr Raab – who needs votes from Brexiteers like Ms McVey – and Mr Gove, who had been hoping to woo Mr Hancock’s centrist acolytes.
The 10 MPs who backed Mark Harper, a candidate with a softer approach to Brexit, have been targeted by the likes of Mr Hunt and Sajid Javid.
Boris Johnson is now the prohibitive favourite to succeed Theresa May after securing the support of 114 Tory MPs in the first round of voting
So does Boris have it sewn up?
Previous Tory leadership contests have shown that the person who leads the race at the start of the process does not always finish in first.
Leadership campaigns are also volatile and it is distinctly possible that an unforeseen event in the coming weeks could radically shake up the battle for Number 10.
Mr Johnson is in pole position but there is still plenty of time for that to change.
