13 April 2024 , 06:39
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Ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who quit last year after a damning report into Partygate, hinted a return to frontline politics was possible in the long-term future
Boris Johnson has refused to rule out one day returning as a Member of Parliament.
The ex-PM hinted to students at Georgetown University, Washington, that a return was possible in the long-term future but "unlikely in the short-term". Asked if he would stand again, after quitting as an MP last year, he said: “I think it’s unlikely in the short-term. I think the only circumstances in which anybody should stand for election is if they have something to contribute.”
Mr Johnson quit last June following a probe into whether he misled Parliament over the Partygate scandal. At the time, the brazen politician left the door open to a comeback by saying he was leaving Parliament "at least for now". The Tory party is facing electoral wipeout as Labour storm ahead in the polls.
In the US, the ex-MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip also spoke in support for Ukraine amid American lawmakers stalling an aid package for the war-torn country. He also sent a message to Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, after the former US president pledged to end the war "within 24 hours", sparking fears he would force Ukraine to give territory to Russia.
Mr Johnson said: “I doubt that a president of the United States, let alone a president that wants to make America great again, is going to want to kick off his new presidency by allowing Vladimir Putin to win. I just don’t think that’s something that any president would do… [and] the reason I’m cautiously hopeful is because when you look at what President Trump actually did when he was in office, he gave the Ukrainians the [missiles] Javelins.”
Asked about Mr Trump’s potential re-election, Mr Johnson branded the storming of the US Capitol building by Trump supporters as "terrible". He said: “I want to be clear about one thing. I am on the record as saying that I thought what happened on January 6 was terrible. He should have respected that the vote had gone against him. The thing was clear and the vote had gone against him.
"I also think there was lots of encouraging stuff in the period between 2016 and 2020, I’ve mentioned the Javelins to the Ukrainians, he was also tough on Bashar al-Assad, that was the right thing to do.”
Earlier this week he branded Rishi Sunak’s policies as "absolutely nuts" with a particularly furious attack on his plan to ban smoking. He said it was "mad" the "party of Winston Churchill wants a ban on [cigars]" as he sided with Liz Truss in opposing the anti-smoking policy.