Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson quits as MP

       Boris Johnson has been backed for a sensational comeback by a Tory minister after Rishi Sunak opened the door to a return.

       Science minister Andrew Griffith praised the former Prime Minister as a "great voice".

       Mr Griffith told LBC: “The Conservative government needs strong Conservative voices.

       “We’ve got a brilliant one in the Prime Minister but politics is a team game.

       “My background was in business and you only get results by working together as a team.

       “We have got some real jeopardy at the moment. There is a party, you have seen their U-turns in the last 24 hours, that builds on many other U-turns.

       “The simple truth is they don’t have a plan, that could cost the economy dear.

       "Boris is a great voice. I hope we've got many great voices.

       "And we desperately need to get the message out that it is not a good time to go back to square one.

       "We have taken a lot of tough decisions over the last 18 months. I know that has been very hard for people. It comes on the back of Covid and the war in Ukraine.

       "So come back anybody who's got a strong voice who can call out the danger of Keir Starmer."

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       His comments come after the Prime Minister left open the option of a comeback by his former boss.

       Asked by ITV if he would have the ex-PM back in his Cabinet, Mr Sunak replied: "I’m proud of the work that we did together. And we worked well together for a long time. In the end there are, you know, well-documented differences…"

       Pressed again, he added: "Well, I never talk about these personnel things, but look, I, you know, I speak to him on an occasion."

       Mr Sunak's resignation as chancellor in July 2022 was viewed as instrumental in spelling the end of Mr Johnson's premiership.

       It triggered a wave of further resignations over the next 48 hours.

       After he quit as the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip over a report which claimed he misled Parliament over the partygate saga, Mr Johnson vowed to Daily Express readers that he would return.

       He said: “I want to thank all the wonderful Express readers across the country for their continuing support.

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       “We must fully deliver on Brexit and on the 2019 manifesto. We must smash Labour at the next election.

       “Nothing less than absolute victory and total Brexit will do – and as the great Arnold Schwarzenegger said, I’ll be back.”

       It comes as the Tories are trailing behind Labour in opinion polls ahead of a general election expected this year.

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