‘I’d give Boris a job in my cabinet’, says Tory leader-hopeful Nadim Zahawi
It comes after Mr Zahawi used his position as chancellor to call for Mr Johnson to resign.
Tory leadership contender Nadhim Zahawi has said he would offer Boris Johnson a job in his cabinet if he wins the race for No 10.
Mr Zahawi was promoted to chancellor last week after Rishi Sunak resigned in protest of Mr Johnson’s leadership.
He quickly used his position, which he later claimed he only ‘took out of loyalty’, to also call for Mr Johnson to resign.
Now he is one of eight Tory hopefuls vying to become the new leader of the Conservative party and Mr Johnson’s replacement in Downing Street.
The chancellor told LBC radio: ‘Boris Johnson is a friend of mine of 30 years. If he wishes to serve in Cabinet, I would certainly offer him a job.
‘He has been probably the most consequential prime minister of his generation. He has delivered Brexit.’
The final shortlist for the Tory party’s leadership includes Mr Zahawi, Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss and Tom Tugendhat.
The first round of voting, where contenders must receive at least 30 votes to stay in the race, will take place today.
Anyone who doesn’t receive the required number of votes will be forced to leave the contest, a process that will continue until there are just two people left.
As the race heats up, prospective leaders have been setting out their positions on various issues and policies.
Ahead of the Government’s response to public sector pay review body recommendations which is expected next week, Mr Zahawi has warned public-sector workers that they cannot expect inflationary pay awards.
‘Inflation is the one thing that would hurt us. We have to make sure that it abates, and abates quickly,’ he said.
‘My message to all the public-sector workers – the brilliant public-sector workers – is we have to be fair and disciplined.’
Mr Zahawi also said he does not rule out scrapping the television licence fee if he becomes the next prime minister.
The Chancellor told LBC radio: ‘We have to review how the BBC is funded. We have to look at how it is sustainable in the future. We have to review everything. Nothing is off the table.’
After the European Court of Human Rights blocked the departure of the first deportation flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda, Mr Zahawi said he did not rule out taking the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.
‘Nothing is off the table. What I hope will happen is that the domestic legislation that (Justice Secretary) Dominic Raab is introducing will allow us to deliver the Rwanda policy. It is an important policy to deliver.’
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