Rishi Sunak should “swallow some pride” and bring back an “electoral force” like Boris Johnson, former chancellor Kwasi Quarten said.
Kwarten, who announced earlier this week that he would resign as an MP at the general election, also said the prime minister needed to “work hard to expand his influence” and that backbench Conservative MPs were also considering resigning.
The MP launched a candid criticism of his party leader on Sunday, amid fresh signs that Johnson’s supporters are renewing calls for him to return in some form, Mail on Sunday and The Sunday Telegraph All appealed to Johnson as the Conservatives faced possible electoral defeat.
The former prime minister and Tory leader wants his successor to call him personally if he wants his help in the general election, The Sunday Telegraph reports.
“I’ve always been a big fan of Boris,” Kwarten told British News on Sunday. “He’s been hugely successful as an electoral force. You know, we were 20 points behind and last year’s The polls haven’t really changed. So it’s not time to simply say “more of the same.” Something has to change for us to have a chance of winning.
“If that means giving up some pride and you suppress some ego by reaching out to an accredited activist, then yes, then he should do that.”
A No 10 source said: “We want the entire Tory family to come together and defeat Starmer and Labor at the next election. Boris and others who are united to achieve this will of course be welcomed.”
Quarten, who oversaw the ill-fated “mini-budget” under Liz Truss’s short-lived government, said the Prime Minister had not called him to change his mind after he announced he would no longer be an MP.
But while he said he would not expect such a move from a busy Prime Minister, he added that if Sunak was to have any chance of winning over others who planned to resign, he “would need to engage with backbenchers” Conduct outreach.”
Quarten, who represents Spellthorne in Salisbury, said his decision to stand down was a personal one as it was time to “move on”, but admitted his party’s poor position in the polls was also a factor.
“I think the fact that we are facing a difficult election has something to do with it,” added the former chancellor, who joins dozens of other Conservative MPs who have announced they will not stand in the election.
More than 80 current MPs have announced they will leave Parliament at the next election, more than the 74 who retired in 2019.
As chancellor, Kwarteng was accused of delivering a reckless mini-budget for the rich after his £45bn tax cut plan sent the pound to its lowest level against the dollar in 37 years.
He has since announced thousands of pounds in media appearances and plans to start advising an Australian iron ore mining company on its clean energy ambitions from last October – a year after his disastrous mini-budget plunged the pound.
