That was quick. 
Tory leadership race: Stewart out as Johnson extends lead | Politics | The Guardian
Tory leadership race: Stewart out as Johnson extends lead | Politics | The Guardian
Johnson added 17 more MPs to his tally. However, key members of the European Research Group (ERG) of hard Brexiter Tory MPs have begun issuing coded warnings to the frontrunner about the limits of their support.
Members of the group were reportedly alarmed by Johnson’s refusal to be drawn on offering any guarantee of the UK leaving the EU on 31 October beyond saying it was “eminently feasible”.
His evasiveness was highlighted by Hunt, who told the BBC on Wednesday: “Boris has made a big play of saying we’ll leave, deal or no deal, on October 31. Yesterday, frankly, he suggested he wouldn’t be so absolute in that,” Hunt said. “I’m not entirely sure what he believes on this.”
Johnson’s backers, including Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, and Steve Baker, the deputy chair of the ERG, insisted in broadcast interviews and on social media that they had guarantees the UK would exit by that date.
One prominent Brexiter, when asked what would happen to Johnson if he reneged on his pledge that the UK would be out by 31 October, said: “The same thing that happened to Theresa May – only a lot quicker.”
Johnson’s rivals have openly questioned how he can be keeping the support of soft-Brexit Tories, including the health secretary, Matt Hancock, and the former deputy prime minister Damian Green, as well as no-deal Eurosceptics, such as Baker and Mark Francois.
Members of the group were reportedly alarmed by Johnson’s refusal to be drawn on offering any guarantee of the UK leaving the EU on 31 October beyond saying it was “eminently feasible”.
His evasiveness was highlighted by Hunt, who told the BBC on Wednesday: “Boris has made a big play of saying we’ll leave, deal or no deal, on October 31. Yesterday, frankly, he suggested he wouldn’t be so absolute in that,” Hunt said. “I’m not entirely sure what he believes on this.”
Johnson’s backers, including Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, and Steve Baker, the deputy chair of the ERG, insisted in broadcast interviews and on social media that they had guarantees the UK would exit by that date.
One prominent Brexiter, when asked what would happen to Johnson if he reneged on his pledge that the UK would be out by 31 October, said: “The same thing that happened to Theresa May – only a lot quicker.”
Johnson’s rivals have openly questioned how he can be keeping the support of soft-Brexit Tories, including the health secretary, Matt Hancock, and the former deputy prime minister Damian Green, as well as no-deal Eurosceptics, such as Baker and Mark Francois.
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