Dominic Raab Defends Boris Johnson’s Leadership Despite Challenge Rumours
2 min read
Justice secretary Dominic Raab has insisted Boris Johnson is "on great form" despite reports that some MPs on the 1922 Committee have demanded a challenge to his leadership.
Raab, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, dismissed the reports that letters of no confidence in Johnson had been submitted to committee chair Sir Graham Brady in recent days.
"There is the usual Westminster tittle-tattle and I'm not aware of that,” he told LBC Radio on Wednesday.
The Telegraph reported on Tuesday evening that several Tory MPs, including one party whip, had submitted letters to Sir Graham in recent days.
A leadership contest within the party is automatically triggered if 15% of sitting MPs submit letters of no confidence.
Johnson has faced a difficult few weeks following backlash over the handling of changes to the standards system and changes to the social care cap in England.
Johnson also raised eyebrows earlier this week with a chaotic speech to the Conferedation of British Industry (CBI) in which he lost his place, compared his green policies to the Ten Commandments and made references to a popular children's cartoon.
But Raab dismissed criticism of the speech, describing Johnson as an "ebulliant, Tiggerish" person.
"I know what the Prime Minister is like," Raab told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"It sounds to me like the Prime Minister is not strictly sticking rigidly to the scripted way that politicians of the past have done. He's known for being a great communicator."
Raab dismissed reaction to the speech as a distraction, and insisted that MPs were "focused on us delivering, and that's what the PM is absolutely focused on".
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