Top Tory admits it was large mistake to oust Boris Johnson from Downing Street | Politics | News | EUROtoday

The Conservatives have been mistaken to oust Boris Johnson, former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has admitted.

The senior Tory MP described the ex-prime minister as probably the most “consequential” chief since Margaret Thatcher.

Mr Johnson was compelled out of No 10 two years in the past following a mass revolt by ministers sparked by a sequence of scandals.

Mr Zahawi informed the Sunday Times: “I want we had held our nerve. Many colleagues received spooked.

“If colleagues had stepped back and just realised Twitter was not the country, we’d have probably made a very different decision.”

Mr Zahawi was made chancellor in July 2022 in the wake of Rishi Sunak’s resignation but publicly called for Mr Johnson to go two days later.

The Stratford-on-Avon MP revealed that he told the then-PM that “the herd was stampeding” and unless he was prepared to quit on his own terms “they are going to drag your carcass out of this place”.

On whether the Conservative Party would be in a better place if Mr Johnson had survived, the former Cabinet minister added: “I don’t know that. I want we had held our nerve, sure.

“I genuinely felt that the combination of activists against Boris and our opponents were in many ways enjoying the parliamentary party getting so spooked.

“I feel if individuals had simply taken a breath, stepped again and audited the achievements.

“If you go back … how many prime ministers have had to deal with Brexit, a global pandemic and then obviously economic recovery beyond that: to cap it all, war on our continent, where he led the world.

“The great lady [Thatcher] has been with me on this journey throughout this career in this place.

“Other than her, I cannot think of a more consequential prime minister of his generation.”

Mr Zahawi went on to be appointed social gathering chairman below Mr Sunak, however was sacked in January 2023 after an inquiry discovered he had did not disclose that HMRC was investigating his tax affairs.

He is leaving Parliament on the basic election and has been appointed chairman of on-line retailer Very Group.

It comes because the Tories have plummeted within the polls following Mr Johnson’s exit from Downing Street.

The former premier additionally give up as Uxbridge and South Ruislip’s MP final yr following a “witch hunt” probe into the partygate row.

But there may be ongoing hypothesis that he may make a sensational political comeback sooner or later.

The charismatic 59-year-old vowed to Daily Express readers “I’ll be back” after leaving Parliament.

There have been requires him to hit the marketing campaign path for the Tories following a thawing of relations with Mr Sunak to assist maintain Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer out of No 10.

Mr Johnson led the social gathering to a landslide victory on the 2019 basic election and is considered as a formidable campaigner.