Liz Truss’s former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng floated a potential return to Cabinet this evening during an exclusive interview on GB News. Speaking to presenter Dan Wootton, Mr Kwarteng didn’t rule out a return to the top table in British politics.
Asked whether he would rule out a return to Cabinet, the Spelthorn MP noted it’s up to the Prime Minister of the day, however he wouldn’t rule out anything.
He said it was a “great privilege” to serve as Business Secretary under Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer under Liz Truss, and said he continues to speak to both his former PM bosses, who he counts as friends.
Mr Kwarteng also heaped praise on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, revealing he received a call from the then-defeated Tory leadership contender on the day he was sacked as Chancellor by Liz Truss.
“I’m very pro-Rishi as well and he was good enough to call me the day I was sacked… he behaved very well and he’s someone I’ve known and admired ever since he got into Parliament”, he said.
“We’re all trying to work together. We’ve got different ideas but actually, the main difference in politics is the difference between the Conservative Party and the Labour Party.”
He defended the Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, saying it was “odd” to see Liz Truss attacking him given she appointed him to the role in an attempt to steady the ship after the pair’s calamitous ‘mini-Budget’ last September.
Kwasi Kwarteng also slammed the Labour Party during his GB News interview, accusing them of having “completely lost the plot” over attack ads accusing Rishi Sunak of personally not wanting child sex offenders to be locked up.
He told Dan Wootton: “I think they’ve completely lost the plot.”
“I don’t know why they’re attacking Rishi in this way, he’s a very cool customer, he’s very considered and I think he’s got very good temperament, and he’s not going to rise to their attacks.
“I don’t get their strategy, and I think it looks very weak, actually, personally to be attacking him in this way.”
READ MORE: Kwasi Kwarteng unleashes attack on Truss over mini-budget chaos
The wide-ranging interview was Mr Kwarteng’s first since finding himself on the receiving end of a sting operation by Remainer campaign group Led By Donkeys, who posed as a fake Korean company asking MPs to sit on their advisory board.
When the campaign group offered him a fee of between £8,000 to £12,000 a day, Kwasi Kwarteng was seen saying he could “work with” that offer.
Responding to the embarrassing sting for the first time, the former Chancellor slammed the group’s tactics and said they uncovered no evidence of rule-breaking.
He admitted he was “probably a bit naive”, however.
“In a court of law that’s entrapment, in a legal case what they did would be completely disqualified because you’re trying to lead people on,” he added.
“They said ‘how about £10,000 a day?’ And I was surprised, but if someone says ‘oh they’re going to give you £10,000 a day’ you’d say ‘ok what’s the offer?’… at that point it was purely deceptive.
“Have a call with somebody, according to the rules, is not a sign of corruption.”
