Boris Johnson’s comments came after foreign secretary Liz Truss also refused to comment on a potential snap election.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to rule out a snap election however he insists that the idea ‘has not occurred to me’.
As pressure continues to mount on Johnson, with reports of Tory MPs submitting a fresh wave of letters of no confidence to the 1922 committee and rumours of another no confidence vote taking place should Tory Party rules be changed, the prime minister has insisted that he is focused on the job.
Despite his best attempts, speculation regarding his future has not subsided, with some Tory MPs continuing to call for his resignation.
Johnson insists that he now has a new mandate at Westminster following his victory in the confidence vote – despite 41% of his own MPs deciding he should go.
He told reporters accompanying him on the trip to the Nato summit in Madrid: “Do you know what, I’ve realised where I’ve been going wrong with all this.
“I’ve got to recognise that years and years ago, I used to do the kind of jobs that you all do now, and it was a great, great life and a great privilege.
“What you are able to do is offer opinion, commentary, analysis, predictions about politics, about individuals and so on.
“I think I’ve got to recognise I’m no longer a member of that sacred guild.
“It would be a demarcation dispute for me to cross over and start talking about politics.”
Asked whether he was ruling out an early election he said: “I’m just saying, I don’t comment on those sorts of things.”
He added: “The idea hadn’t occurred to me, if you really want the truth, because I’m focused on getting through the cost-of-living pressures, developing and improving, widening, our plan for a stronger economy, and making sure that we continue to offer leadership on some of the tough global issues the world faces.”
Boris Johnson’s comments came after foreign secretary Liz Truss also refused to comment on a potential snap election.
‘We’re thinking about getting on with the job,’ she told Kay Burley on Sky News.
The Times also reports that staff at Conservative Party headquarters have war-gamed a snap election if Sir Keir Starmer is forced to quit as Labour leader, should the outcome of an investigation by Durham Police into whether he broke lockdown rules go against him.
Meanwhile, Matt Chorley of the Times tweeted: “I don’t want to worry anyone with all this talk of a snap election. But Tory MPs in marginal seats have to submit their general election plans to CCHQ by… today.”
Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward
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