Boris Johnson is out of politics – but for how long? (Image: Getty)
Boris Johnson was an “abject failure” as Prime Minister, according to a Reform MP who says his party can form the next Government – and don’t need his help to do it.
Rupert Lowe said he would not want Mr Johnson in the Reform ranks if the former Tory leader attempts to make a comeback.
He said: “He’s had a play with the toy set and he singularly failed.”
Mr Lowe, who took Great Yarmouth from the Conservatives at the last election, also pushed back at the possibility of a Tory-Reform link-up ahead of the next election.
Get the latest politics news – straight from our team in Westminster and more
Invalid email
You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info.
He pointed to how then-Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage stood down candidates in Tory-held seats in 2019, helping pave the way for Mr Johnson’s landslide win.
He said: “Nigel stood down in all the Tory seats last time and gave Boris an 80-seat majority. Tell me what he did with it…
“He didn’t even do Brexit well. We had the Northern Ireland protocol so we got most of Britain out but we left a leg in the wretched socialist empire in Europe.”
Mr Lowe said he did not “dream” of Mr Johnson – who was a pivotal figure in the 2016 Vote Leave campaign – quitting the Tories to join Reform.
He said: “Boris, I think, was an abject failure. [It is] certainly not my dream.
“No, I think it is extraordinary that Boris is still in the betting to be the next prime minister. It’s bizarre.”
He acknowledged this would be a matter for party leader Mr Farage but said: “Would we want him? I certainly wouldn’t.”
His comments come as concern mounts in Tory circles about the threat of Reform splitting the centre-Right vote. In the summer election, the Tories won 6,828,925 votes and 121 seats while Reform took 4,117,610 votes and five constituencies.
Mr Johnson has been invited to comment.
Reform MP Delivers Shock Verdict on Boris Johnson Joining – ‘He Was an Abject Failure’
The prospect of Boris Johnson joining Reform UK has raised questions about the party’s identity, its relationship with former Conservative politicians and whether Nigel Farage would welcome a figure whose time in Downing Street remains deeply divisive.
For Reform, the issue is about more than adding a prominent name to its ranks. Johnson served as prime minister from 2019 to 2022, led the Conservatives to a substantial general-election victory in 2019 and oversaw Britain’s departure from the European Union. But his premiership was also marked by controversies over COVID-19 lockdown gatherings, ministerial conduct and the circumstances surrounding his departure from office.
Those contrasting elements make any discussion of Johnson joining Reform politically complicated. Some voters continue to associate him with Brexit and the Conservatives’ 2019 election victory. Others regard his record in government as a warning against bringing former Conservative leaders into a party that presents itself as an alternative to the political establishment.
The reported verdict from a Reform MP that Johnson was an “abject failure” captures that tension. It reflects a broader question confronting Farage: should Reform remain focused on presenting itself as a break with the established parties, or should it welcome experienced figures from the Conservative movement?