Tory MP says his voters want Boris back in Downing Street

Paul Bristow suggested MPs should forget the scandals which forced Boris out (Picture: AP)

A rumoured run by Boris Johnson to replace Liz Truss is gaining traction among Tory MPs, who claim the idea is popular among voters.

Paul Bristow, who represents Peterborough, said the overwhelming message from his constituents was ‘bring back Boris’ as early as last weekend – well before the final nail had been hammered into Ms Truss’ prime ministerial coffin.

Mr Johnson was already the top pick among Tory party members on Wednesday, when polling suggested more than half wanted the new PM to step down.

He scored 32% in the survey for Sky News, followed by former chancellor Rishi Sunak at 23%, while 63% said he would be a ‘good replacement’.

But the last prime minister’s name had largely been absent from the plots sounding out a new face to ‘restore order’ ahead of the next election, with Mr Sunak and Penny Mordaunt repeatedly floated as the most serious candidates.

A former adviser to Mr Johnson said he was watching the polls ‘with interest’ while on holiday to the Caribbean but wouldn’t want to go ‘anywhere near’ Downing Street at present.

Mr Bristow became the first MP to boldly come out in favour of a comeback by Mr Johnson, arguing he is still a ‘winner’ despite having been disgraced by Westminster.

Speaking to Sky News outside the Commons, he said: ‘I stood in a by-election six months before we won [the 2019 general election]. I came third – we were 19 points behind in the polls before Boris Johnson became PM.

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‘We face a similar situation now. I don’t know what the situation’s going to be, I don’t know the rules, I don’t even know if Boris Johnson wants to stand.

‘But we need an election winner and we had an election winner. As far as I’m concerned, I’ll listen to my constituents, and their message was: bring back Boris.

‘It’s about making sure that we win as many seats as we possibly can, get back to good government and get back on the right track.’

Asked whether voters might ‘raise an eyebrow’ at being asked to vote for a prime minister whose party was ‘ashamed of him’, Mr Bristow added: ‘I never wanted Boris to go in the first place.

‘We are in a fix. The last time we were in a fix, Boris Johnson got us out of that fix. I hope he can do it again.’

A bookmaker has set up shop outside Parliament taking odds for the next leader (Picture: AP)

While Mr Johnson is said to be eyeing up plane tickets back to London, the idea of his return is still being derided even among former backers.

Justin Tomlinson, the Tory MP for North Swindon, called it ‘wishful thinking’, adding: ‘I just think it’s too soon.

‘I was there supporting him to the very end but he did lose the confidence of the majority of our colleagues. I thought that was wrong. But you have to respect that.

‘I don’t think a sufficient enough time has probably passed for the party to then unite behind him and for me this now is about us, frankly, being grown up, being pragmatic and putting the country first.’

Boris Johnson may not end up on the ballot of the next leadership contest, as he remains unpopular among MPs and the party is expected to enforce a high threshold for the number of backers a candidate needs to stand.

The terms of the race are expected to be set out late on Thursday afternoon by Sir Graham Brady, who leads the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers who handle leadership issues.

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