Boris Johnson will be looking at polls 'with interest' while on holiday in the Caribbean, says former adviser
19 October 2022, 09:26 | Updated: 19 October 2022, 09:53
Nick quizzes former adviser asking if Boris Johnson would return
Boris Johnson will be looking at the polls "with interest" while on holiday, his former adviser has told LBC's Nick Ferrari at Breakfast, after a survey of Tory members suggested he is the favourite to replace Liz Truss.
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The YouGov poll, released yesterday, showed the majority of members wanted Liz Truss to resign, and that Mr Johnson was the most popular replacement.
Andrew Gilligan, former transport adviser to Mr Johnson, said the former PM would likely be looking at the polls "with interest" while on holiday in the Caribbean - but added he was unlikely to want to go "anywhere near" Downing Street at present.
"He's on holiday at the moment, he's in the Caribbean, so I think he's probably enjoying himself quite a lot," Mr Gilligan said when Nick asked if Mr Johnson would want to return to No10.
"I mean, I saw that poll... I saw a poll of Tory members that showed he was the most popular candidate to replace Liz Truss and he's got to be looking at those numbers with interest.
"But I haven't talked to him about them and I think at the moment his position is going to be 'I don't want to go anywhere near it'."
Ex-No10 Adviser says Truss has 'made mistakes she didn't need to make'
Mr Gilligan also said Ms Truss' administration had had a "pretty awful few weeks", and said one of the main issues was that they began by sacking a lot of the most experienced members of staff.
"They've had a pretty awful few weeks, there's no point denying that," he said.
"Even Liz Truss has said that.
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"And I think, bluntly, part of the problem is... they got rid of a lot of people who knew how the place worked, who had been working there for years."
He added: "That obviously hasn't worked for them because it's meant they made serious mistakes they didn't need to make."
Former Pensions Minister: I'm sure they will implement the triple lock
The Prime Minister is trying to battle on after a disastrous start to life at Downing Street, having been elected only on September 5.
She had to tear up her economic policies of hefty tax breaks after markets were spooked by whether the Government could afford them, then sacked Kwasi Kwarteng as Chancellor just days into his job.
Yesterday's poll found that 55 per cent of members of want her to walk, despite 57 per cent voting in favour of her over Rishi Sunak.
She retains support from just 38 per cent of the party membership – similar polling to when Boris Johnson finally left, when 59 per cent wanted him gone and 36 per cent thought he should stay on.
Mr Johnson is the most popular candidate to replace Ms Truss if the job became vacant, with 32 per cemt of members wanting him, followed by Mr Sunak's 23 per cent.
