Boris Johnson won’t rule out second No10 bid after Michael Gove back-stab disaster
The Foreign Secretary dodged three questions about his political ambitions, and wouldn't comment on the possibility of Gove's return to Cabinet either
BORIS Johnson has refused to rule out running to be Tory leader and PM again in the future despite his disastrous bid in June.
The new Foreign Secretary ducked The Sun’s questions on whether he still wants the nation’s top job three times.
Instead - in his first newspaper interview since arriving at the Foreign Office ahead of the Tories’ annual conference - he would only tell The Sun: “This is an extraordinary privilege to occupy this post.
“There is a huge amount to do and I am really thinking about that.”
He was also quizzed on if his famous quote about wanting to pick up the ball if it comes loose from the back of the scrum is still true.
Issued in 2013, it was seen at the time as an open declaration of intent that he wanted David Cameron’s job.
But yesterday Boris rejigged it to say instead: “The ball is being carried very firmly towards the try line by Theresa May and my job is to back her up along with a huge phalanx of others.
“There is a lot of change now with Theresa’s new administration and I think it is very progressive.
“I think we are thinking about the people who are disadvantaged in society in quite a radical way.”
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Boris refused to talk about his former Leave campaign comrade in arms Michael Gove and his brutal stabbing of him that ended his tilt for No10, saying: “Readers of The Sun are not interested in the microscopic soap-operatic details of our interpersonal relationships.”
But he did refuse to endorse sacked former Justice Secretary Mr Gove for a return to the Cabinet.
Asked if he would back his former friend's comeback, Mr Johnson said: “I don’t want to blight anyone’s career by offering any particular support.”