Truss and Johnson plan return
One might think that Liz Truss, deposed as Prime Minister after 44 days spent wrecking the economy and Boris Johnson, deposed as Prime Minister and Tory leader for being a serial liar and law breaker would have other things to do than plan political comebacks.
Reports in the Murdoch Times suggest otherwise. Katy Balls, Political Editor of the right-wing Spectator wrote in the Times (6th Jan) that Truss had dined with key MP allies before Christmas and determined to continue to promote her fundamentalist free market ideas, formed at 55 Tufton St. Truss has hired a media spokesperson and is still pondering up a think tank. Balls reports that her ideas still have support amongst Tory MPs.
The Sunday Times (8th Jan) reported that supporters of Boris Johnson are using the hashtag #BBB. It might be thought that Johnson has been spending his time earning money from speeches and holidaying but the paper claims he has been spotted in his Uxbridge Constituency and stops by the Commons most weeks. He does not appear to have brought a new house with partner Clarrie but is staying in properties at the expense of JCB boss Bamford.
Hard to far right backers of Johnson, Lord Cruddas and Priti Patel have launched the Conservative Grassroots Organisation. They moan that while Tory members backed Liz Truss she was in effect kicked out by MPs and replaced by Sunak who they didn’t vote for. Meanwhile they didn’t get a chance to vote for Johnson.
Johnson has some policy differences with Sunak, for example on levelling up. The whole thing is similar to the debacle of Republicans taking 15 votes to elect their hard right House leader, with Trump in the background. Sunak is PM but Truss and Johnson plan trouble ahead.
Talk of a Johnson comeback persists and he has received a donation of £1million from a Thai businessman Christopher Harborne who previously gave millions to Farage’s political efforts. The money has gone to Johnson’s political office.
Further discussion has focused on whether Johnson will stand again in Uxbridge, which he might well lose who move to a safer Tory seat, if such a thing still exists.
Meanwhile Kwasi Kwarteng seems to have disappeared. Is he being held hostage at 55 Tufton St.
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