Boris Johnson has said he wants to continue as prime minister in the 1930s, criticizing rebel Tory lawmakers who plan to impose a new vote of confidence in his leadership.
Speaking at the British Community summit in Rwanda, the prime minister made a provocative note after his Conservative party suffered two major defeats in this week’s by-elections.
Asked if he wanted to run for a second term by 2029 – the next election is expected in 2024 – he replied: “I am currently actively thinking about the third term and you know what could happen then. . . it’s the mid-2030s. “
The comments are likely to infuriate many of the 148 Conservative MPs who unsuccessfully tried to oust Johnson from Downing Street in a no-confidence vote earlier this month. The prime minister survived the vote by 59 to 41 percent.
Earlier in the day, Johnson insisted he would not change or undergo a “psychological transformation” after a Conservative leader stepped down because of the by-election results.
Oliver Dowden, the former chairman of the Tory party, resigned minutes after the results of Wakefield in West Yorkshire and Tiverton in Devon on Friday, publishing a letter that implicitly criticized Johnson’s leadership.
Johnson told BBC Radio 4 Today on Saturday morning that he would instead focus on issues such as the cost of living and the war in Ukraine. “If you say you want me to undergo some psychological transformation, I think our listeners will know it won’t happen,” he said.
He added that every government has been “hit” by disappointing results from the by-elections in the middle of parliament.
Tiverton’s loss to the Liberal Democrats – with a majority of 24,239 – has led many Tory MPs to believe they are at risk of losing their seats.
Wakefield’s move to Labor also threatens the Red Wall of former Labor seats taken by Johnson in the 2019 election.
The prime minister suggested that the government could further reduce fuel tariffs if gasoline prices remain high, and said the controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda would eventually work.
Johnson’s premiership was affected by the “party” when rallies in the workplace that violated Covid’s blocking rules led to more than 100 fines and the cost of living crisis. On Friday, senior figures, including Michael Howard, a former Tory party leader, called on him to leave.
Johnson survived a no-confidence vote earlier this month, although 148 lawmakers voted to remove him. Downing Street is prepared for rebel Tories to make concerted efforts to change Conservative rules that prevent a second challenge in 12 months.
The executive director of the 1922 rear commission, who sets the rules, will soon hold elections for key positions. Some rebels, including backpacker Andrew Bridgen, are planning to try to change the 12-month rule, but the current leadership is reluctant.
“Changing the rules of the half because you lose 1-0 cannot be fair,” said a member of the committee.
The Times revealed on Saturday that Johnson had planned to build a £ 150,000 tree house on Checkers, the prime minister’s country house, but was forced to abandon the idea after police expressed security concerns.
The newspaper revealed that there had been discussions about Lord Brownlow, a Tory donor funding the project. Brownlow had previously been embroiled in a scandal over the renovation of Johnson’s apartment on Downing Street.
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