Boris Johnson is being urged to back former Brexit secretary David Davis as an “interim” prime minister in a Tory plot that could oust Theresa May as early as October.
The former foreign secretary and two-time Mayor of London is popular with the party’s grassroots and has personal ambitions to be the leader, but is being asked to pause his own leadership bid, the Mail on Sunday reports.
Mr Davis and Mr Johnson resigned from the Cabinet after Prime Minister Theresa May announced she would be pursuing a “soft” Brexit with the United Kingdom tied to all European Union (EU) rules on goods and subject to EU court rulings, among other concessions.
The row over Mr Johnson being investigated by the Tory high command for criticising the Islamic burqa is said to have heightened tensions within in the party and opposition to Mrs May, particualry after she publicly called on him to apologise.
“Senior allies” of Mr Davis say a leadership contest would be a “disaster” for the country ahead of Brexit and want the party to simply appoint Mr Davis if Mrs May is ousted in a vote of no confidence.
The source said: “The membership is massively behind Boris on this. If there weren’t enough Tory MPs ready to support no-confidence letters when we left Westminster last month, there probably will be now.”
One senior ex-minister said on Saturday night: “Everyone knows Boris would romp home in any leadership poll where party members get to vote.
“The problem is that, with crucial Brexit talks this autumn, we can’t afford a full, three-month leadership contest.
“As ex-Brexit Secretary, David Davis is the only candidate who could be accepted by Tory MPs without the need for a full-scale contest.
“To reassure Boris, we’re pointing out that David is 70 next birthday. Although he’s as fit as a man half his age, he just wouldn’t want to serve for years and years.”
Mr Johnson’s friends, meanwhile, insist he is not pushing the plan and it is other people are behind it. One said: “Boris is taking the summer out to think and reflect and that’s the extent of it.”
A friend of Mr Davis said: “David wants to focus on the real challenge this autumn – getting a Brexit deal that will get through Parliament and be acceptable to the Europeans.”
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