A covert campaign is reportedly underway to reinstall former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader, with senior party insiders moving to replace current leader Kemi Badenoch.
According to The Sun on Sunday, a group of former Conservative MPs is in active discussions to persuade Johnson to make a dramatic return to frontline politics.
The revelation comes after a YouGov poll placed the Tories in a dismal fourth position, behind the Liberal Democrats, intensifying panic within the party.
Disheartened Conservative MPs have described the poll as a turning point, warning that the party cannot afford to continue under Badenoch’s leadership if it hopes to avoid electoral collapse.
A senior Tory insider revealed, “Some of the old gang around Boris Johnson are back texting and in talks to get him to return. The feeling is he is the only man who can take on Nigel Farage and win.
They want to bring back Boris.” Another prominent Conservative member added, “Team Boris are talking again. There are even some people in Tory HQ who are moonlighting on Project Boris.”
When asked about Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, one despondent Conservative MP described the situation as “pretty grim,” while another described Boris Johnson as the only figure Reform UK would fear.
Amid plunging poll numbers, jittery Tory MPs are increasingly anxious that the party is heading for political extinction.
A recent More in Common poll showed that Johnson remains the Conservatives’ best shot at challenging Nigel Farage in a bid for No. 10. Under his leadership, the survey found, the Tories would lead with 26 percent, ahead of Reform’s 23 percent and Labour’s 22 percent.
While some party members are backing Johnson’s potential return, others are defending Kemi Badenoch’s leadership. Her ally and former Cabinet minister Michael Gove publicly backed her, praising her political instincts and courage.
However, Guto Harri, a former communications chief for Boris Johnson, suggested that another leadership challenge is all but inevitable.
