Boris Johnson will hit the campaign trail to protect the “hard-won” Brexit freedoms he secured after his stonking election victory. The former prime minister is a Tory “through and through” and is happy to put his skills to “good use”, according to allies.

       Rishi Sunak wants to “pull together” with Mr Johnson to fight off the election threat from Labour. The ex-PM is ready to campaign in key Red Wall seats for the good of the party after consistently disappointing polls for the Tories.

       A source close to Mr Johnson said: "Boris is a Tory through and through and would campaign for the Conservative Party whoever is leader.

       Boris Johnson will hit the general election campaign trail (Image: Getty)

       “He will set out the case against Starmer and spell out how the election victory was won with the agenda of 2019 and then delivering the hard-won Brexit freedoms," the source added.

       "If the Tory party do want to make use of Boris's skills, he will, of course, put them to good use."

       Downing Street insiders said there has been a thaw in relations between the two men and they would “welcome” him on the campaign trail.

       “We want the whole Conservative family to come together and get out to campaign,” a source said.

       “If you are the manager of a team and former players say they want to come back, we would welcome that.

       “We need to pull together to stop Keir Starmer. If Boris is up for doing that, that’s great.

       “Let’s see if he turns up.”

       Mr Johnson is understood to want to fight to protect the red wall agenda he secured a landslide election victory on five years ago.

       Allies point out he is a lifelong Conservative and while he does not have a spreadsheet ready with where he would campaign, he is keen to help individual MPs.

       Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have had a tense relationship (Image: Getty)

       Conservative MP Paul Bristow said Mr Johnson has “rock star appeal” and is a proven election winner.

       He said: “Labour is led by someone who tried to make Corbyn PM.

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       “Hiding behind a boring exterior is a man who has changed his mind and flip-flopped on every major issue facing our country.

       “Labour is hiding from the electorate their ideological commitment to open borders, tax and spend, and ever closer alignment with the EU.

       “Starmer is so beatable. But to do this we need our best eleven on the field.

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       “This includes Boris. So come on No 10, pick up the phone.

       “Let’s put the band back together. Boris and Rishi were a winning combination. They can be again.”

       Mr Johnson’s involvement in the traditional Labour heartlands he won for the party in 2019 would be a major boost after the Conservative party lost high profile red waller Lee Anderson to Reform.

       The Ashfield MP left the Tories after being suspended after being accused of Islamophobia for comments he made about London mayor Sadiq Khan.

       Mr Anderson crossed the floor for the first time on Tuesday to sit on the Opposition benches, taking a spot next to George Galloway, who won Rochdale in the recent by-election for the Workers Party of Britain.

       Mr Johnson is widely viewed as a formidable campaigner, with even his critics admitting that he has an ability to reach voters the party has struggled to win over.

       Former MP Nadine Dorries said she speaks to Mr Johnson “all the time” and he has “no intention” of coming back.

       She said he is earning a “shed load” of money and questioned why he would want to return to “rescue the backsides” of the MPs who ousted him.

       But Tory sources said the comments should be taken with a “pinch of salt” and Ms Dorries is unaware of the situation.

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       The PM and his predecessor spoke when they meet at the Cenotaph (Image: Getty)

       Relations between Mr Johnson and his then chancellor broke down in the final days of his government after Mr Sunak publicly called for him to quit.

       Mr Sunak later accused his predecessor of wanting to bend the rules on handing out peerages following a row over his resignation honours list with his former bosses hitting back at him for “talking rubbish”.

       But the pair talked on Remembrance Sunday after they gathered with other former premiers at the Cenotaph.

       Then in February, they issued a rare joint post on social media to mark the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

       The pair expressed solidarity with Volodymyr Zelensky, saying: “Britain was with you then and we’re with you now – for as long as it takes. Slava Ukraini.”

       But while Mr Johnson is expected to hit the campaign trail, it is unlikely he will make any joint appearances with Mr Sunak.

       Last month, the Prime Minister said there were “well documented” differences between the two but they had “worked well together for a long time”.

       He added:"I’m proud of the work that we did together.”

       Energy minister Graham Stuart said the development shows “everyone is coming behind” the Prime Minister.

       "Boris is a huge personality and character,” he told Times Radio. “He’s always been dedicated to the interests of this country and he, like me, recognises the need to stop Keir Starmer becoming Prime Minister.

       “It’s about the Conservative family coming together and working flat out together to close that opinion poll lead that Labour currently enjoy because every day we look at what a Labour government would consist of, we can see how weak and damaging it would be.”

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       Lord Hague, who had publicly called for Mr Johnson to quit as PM, said he “disapproved” of the way he had conducted his premiership.

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       “But of course he should be campaigning for the party,” he added. “He’s a unique and recognisable figure.”

       He said Mr Johnson is “probably still popular” in some parts of the country.

       “Are there people who still like Boris? Of course there are,” the peer added.

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