A senior source in Ms Truss’s campaign declined to say whether Mr Johnson could serve under her, saying she was “not making any plans at the moment” about who would serve in her cabinet because she was “focused on members”.
However, when the leadership candidates were asked during a live debate on ITV to raise their hands if they would allow Johnson to serve in his cabinet as prime minister, none did so.
By Monday morning, more than 10,000 Conservative party members had signed a petition calling for Johnson to be prime minister again.
The petition, organized by Lord Cruddas of Shoreditch, a former party treasurer, and David Campbell-Bannerman, a former Tory MEP, demands that party members have a say in Johnson’s future.
Members want a second vote to confirm MPs’ decision to force his resignation, to run concurrently with the official leadership vote between Truss and Rishi Sunak.
Lord Cruddas said “several MPs” had started “making noises” to support his campaign.
Last week Michael Fabricant, a Johnson loyalist, became the first MP to back the ‘Bring Back Boris’ campaign, telling The Telegraph: ‘MPs have clearly misread the mood of party members on this and so many other matters.”
Johnson told MPs at his final Prime Minister’s Questions last week: “See you baby” and said it was “largely mission accomplished, for now”.