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Boris Johnson confident he will win next general election – but apparently he was joking
Published 09:56 26 Jun 2022 BST
Updated 09:59 26 Jun 2022 BST
Homenews
Just kidding guys
Boris Johnson said he is "actively thinking" about a third term as prime minister, though No 10 has since said he was probably joking. The PM made the comment while speaking to the press at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Kigali, Rwanda. Asked if he would like to serve a full second term in office, Johnson said: "At the moment I'm thinking actively about the third term and what could happen then, but I will review that when I get to it." When asked to elaborate, the PM said he was thinking "about a third term - mid 2030s". Though a Downing Street source later suggested he was joking. [caption id="attachment_344192" align="alignnone" width="2048"]
Apparently his comments were a joke (Photo: Getty)[/caption]
The comments come following a bad week for the Tories, in which the party lost two by-elections in Wakefield, and Tiverton and Homerton. This also led one of the party's co-chairs, Oliver Dowden, to resign.
In a letter to the PM, Dowden wrote: "We cannot carry on with business as usual. Somebody must take responsibility and I have concluded that, in these circumstances, it would not be right for me to remain in office."
Former Tory leader Michael Howard also called on Johnson to resign, and he told BBC's Radio 4: "The party and more importantly the country would be better off under new leadership."
It comes following months of criticism aimed at Johnson as a result of Downing Street parties, the cost of living crisis and the Rwanda asylum plans. Some continue to show support for Johnson. Speaking to Sky News, Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis he believes Johnson is the right person to take us into the next general election and that he will do it successfully. "What I see is somebody whose got that drive and enthusiasm for what we want to achieve for our country," Lewis said. Though it was only less than three weeks ago that 41% of Tory MPs said they didn't have confident in the current leader following issues such as partygate. Time is ticking. Related stories:Explore more on these topics:
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