Boris Johnson has refused to rule out a sensational return to frontline politics.
The former prime minister insisted a comeback to Parliament was not likely imminently. But he suggested he would re-enter public life if he felt he had “something to contribute”.
The 59-year-old was speaking to students at Georgetown University in Washington. Asked if he would stand again to be an MP, 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, who led the Tories to a landslide victory at the last general election, has been at the centre of ongoing comeback speculation. He was forced out of Downing Street in 2022 following a series of scandals.
He went on to quit as Uxbridge and South Ruislip’s MP last year after a “witch hunt” investigation into the Partygate row. But the Tory big beast vowed “I’ll be back” in a direct message to loyal Daily Express readers.
He said: “We must fully deliver on Brexit and on the 2019 manifesto. We must smash Labour at the next election. Nothing less than absolute victory and total Brexit will do – and as the great Arnold Schwarzenegger said, I’ll be back.”
Rishi Sunak declined to rule out a Cabinet return for the ex-premier in an interview earlier this year. His comments prompted other senior Tories to urge Mr Johnson to hit the campaign trail for the party to help turn around its fortunes at the next general election.
