UK Education Secretary James Cleverly has said he would be open to Boris Johnson joining a government led by Liz Truss if she is “comfortable” with it.
Cleverly, who is backing the foreign secretary in the race for No 10, called Johnson an “amazing” politician but said it was not a decision for him.
“He’s an incredibly talented politician. Whether he’d want to serve after the bruises he’s got right now might be another matter, but it’s not for me to start dictating to Liz. [Truss] who he puts in his cabinet,” Cleverly, one of Johnson’s staunchest supporters, told Sky News.
“I’ve worked with him for years, supported him, and continue to think of him as an incredible and effective politician.”
Asked if he would welcome Johnson to a senior government role, Cleverly added: “I would be comfortable if she [Truss] is.”
More than 9,000 Tory party members have reportedly signed a petition calling for Johnson to be present at the leadership vote.
Cleverly’s comments come ahead of the first live TV debate between Truss and rival Rishi Sunak, presented by the BBC on Monday night. The two Tory leadership contenders have been embroiled in bitter clashes over immigration, China and the economy ahead of Monday’s showdown.
He cleverly accused Sunak of being late to the threat posed by China after the former chancellor unveiled plans to close 30 Confucius Institutes, which promote the teaching of Chinese language and culture, in the UK.
He smartly told Times Radio: “He’s been talking about this for a long time. So I’m very happy that Rishi is talking about the issues that Liz has been talking about for quite some time and of course we have to look at China’s influence, not only on the world stage, but also here in the UK.”
Cleverly, who said he would “love” to continue as education secretary in a Truss government, added: “I would say we have already been looking at the influence that China has on our education system. This is not new, it may be new to people in Rishi’s campaign team, but it’s not new to anyone who has worked in education or the Foreign Office.”
But health and social care committee chairman Jeremy Hunt, a former Tory leadership candidate who supports Sunak, said the former chancellor was right to focus on China.
The former health secretary also suggested Sunak was ahead of Truss in understanding the pressures facing the NHS.
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Hunt told Sky News: “I give him credit that of the two candidates he’s the first to talk about the NHS and use the word emergency, and I think that’s very important because that’s what it feels like. the first line at the moment. This is what it feels like for some of the people who are waiting for their NHS care.”
He also defended Sunak’s plan to put migrants on cruise ships instead of hotels to save money, which has been criticized by the Truss campaign.
“The truth is that we have to be radical, we have to do things differently and we have to be brave and Rishi Sunak has shown me that he is willing to be brave, especially in front of members of the Conservative Party, of which I am . one, that they all to one person want tax cuts and say that’s not possible right now, we can’t afford it now,” Hunt said.
“I think that’s the kind of courage that has convinced me that he is the right man to be prime minister, but the same courage and determination is needed, yes, when it comes to asylum policy, also refugee policy” .