BREXIT Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg is reportedly considering entering the already packed Tory leadership race.
According to The Telegraph, the right-wing Eurosceptic is thinking of throwing his hat into the ring as the “continuity Boris” candidate.
Sources said that Rees-Mogg had spoken to a number of Tory MPs on Monday morning to ask if he should put his name forward.
READ MORE: Tory leadership contest: The top candidates' scandals revealed
One MP told the newspaper: “He would be brilliant and probably the only person all the pro-Boris [MPs] could support.”
Johnny Rotten, the former Sex Pistols singer, is among those who previously backed Rees-Mogg to become PM.
The rocker told TalkTV he loves his “put Britain first attitude”.
The Cabinet member said he was “honoured” by the endorsement.
But speaking to BBC Radio 4 on Monday, Tory MP Steve Baker warned Cabinet minister Rees-Mogg against standing in the Tory leadership contest, saying he would fail to win a General Election.
The campaign manager for Attorney General Suella Braverman told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “There’s a danger of fragmentation.
“Kemi Badenoch has decided to stand, I’m afraid as much fond as I am of Kemi, it’s a bit improbable.
“She hasn’t been in the Cabinet; Suella has been in the Cabinet and without Cabinet experience it’s difficult to see that somebody – while we’re in power – should become prime minister.
“There is a grave danger of fragmentation, Priti [Patel] is standing, Jacob is apparently standing.
“We’ll see whether he actually does. I love Jacob like a brother but he wouldn’t win a General Election, I’m quite sure, so I hope to dissuade him, amongst others. It’s a nonsense to have candidates standing all over the place.”
Rees-Mogg has been loyal to Johnson throughout his leadership, and has been rewarded with a handful of Cabinet positions in return.
Even as Johnson's Cabinet fell apart around him, with a chancellor, health secretary and a number of ministers gone, Rees-Mogg was defending his leadership.
He played down the scale of the crisis within the party, suggesting that “losing chancellors is something that happens”.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson makes first public appearance since his resignation speech
Offering a broad sweep of British political history, with references to the fortunes of former prime ministers Lord Salisbury and Harold Macmillan, he wrongly predicted that it was not fatal for a Prime Minister to lose a chancellor.
He said that it is the Prime Minister who appoints Cabinet ministers and is “not someone who is brought down by Cabinet ministers”.
Rees-Mogg also said that the Prime Minister had made a “minor mistake” over the Pincher controversy.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel