Boris Johnson backs Tory MP Johnny Mercer after 'sh*t show' blast at Theresa May
3 min read
Boris Johnson has heaped praise on a Tory MP who branded Theresa May's government a "shit show".
In an excoriating interview with the House magazine, Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer said he would not join her administration if he was offered a job or vote Conservative if he was not already an MP for the party.
He also said there would be “absolutely no chance” he would be a Tory candidate now - and warned that the party was being "openly ridiculed" over Brexit.
The 37-year-old former soldier said: "If you look at Chequers, for example, that is your classic professional politicians’ answer because it’s right down the middle.
"It doesn’t make anybody happy. It’s the ultimate in not making a decision. And I’m afraid, people who pay our wages and vote for us expect us to make decisions and get on with government, not be fixated on us retaining our position."
The incendiary comments from an MP frequently tipped as a rising star in the Conservative Party will be seen as a fresh blow to Mrs May's authority as she struggles to convince her party to get behind her Brexit plans.
Mr Johnson, who stormed out of the Cabinet in protest at the Prime Minister's Chequers proposals earlier this year, rallied around his Tory colleague today and praised his work to boost government support for troops.
The ex-foreign secretary tweeted: "The Conservative Party is fortunate to have MPs with the passion and determination of @Johnnymerceruk - his fight for veterans shows why we need more like him."
The backing from Mr Johnson came as fellow Tory backbencher Iain Duncan Smith told the BBC: "Well, it’s not the language I would use but I understand his frustration."
The comments were also put to Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who said he had a "great deal of respect" for the "incredibly impressive" Plymouth Moor View MP, and acknowledged that "moments like this are always frustrating".
But another Tory frontbencher was more damning, telling PoliticsHome: "It was very naive. Politics is a team game and attacking your own team in public is poor form."
Labour meanwhile pounced on the comments, with Charlotte Holloway - who is hoping to unseat Mr Mercer at the next election as the party's candidate for Plymouth Moor View - challenging him to quit the Tories.
She said: "The upshot of tonight's interview is simple. As Johnny Mercer no longer supports his party, he should resign and call a by-election."
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