Christopher Hope with Tory Party Chairman Greg Hands Credit & Copyright: Jeff Gilbert for Telegraph Chopper's Politics: Hands Podcast, Kasumu < p>Boris Johnson party chairman Greg Hands said he was «a campaign asset to the Conservative Party» who could help Rishi Sunak ahead of next year's general election.
Comments will be seen as an olive branch for Mr Johnson after how the former Prime Minister was removed from office by his own deputies less than a year ago after a series of scandals.
In an interview on Friday's Chopper's Politics podcast, Mr Hands made clear that the party is committed to Mr Johnson, who has been very active in his constituencies in Uxbridge and South Ruislip in recent weeks, helping the party nationally.
Last March, Johnson was re-elected to fight for a seat in West London, dismissing suggestions that he might be looking for a safer seat.
During a visit to Lewes in East Sussex ahead of the local elections in England on Thursday, Mr Hands said: «Boris is still an asset to the party.»
When it was pointed out that Mr. Johnson was not campaigning nationally for the party, Hands replied, «We'll see, we'll see.»
Mr Hands, MP for Chelsea and Fulham, said he saw firsthand Mr Johnson's potential as a campaigner. Photo: Andrew Parsons CCHQ/Parsons Media. first-hand experience of Mr. Johnson's potential as a campaigner. “I campaigned with Boris when he was mayor of London.
“I remember one day the party asked me to organize a walk down Kings Road in my constituency. I arranged a walk for the hour he would be with us, [to] get halfway down the King's Road.
«We never made it past the newspaper vendor near Sloane Square station. At that time he was shot at. He is very, very popular as mayor of London.
“He is definitely an asset to the Tory campaign. But we'll have to see what Boris is going to do in the next election.»
Mr Hands expects the Tories to lose up to 1,000 seats next Thursday, based on independent forecasts.
Answering Asked if Johnson could help the party ahead of Thursday's election, Hands replied: «It's partly up to Boris at the moment.»
“He has just been re-elected as a candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and the party will support him in this. But we'll have to see what Boris wants to do next year.”
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Mr Hands paid tribute to Mr. Sunak, who was appointed leader by Conservative MPs last October. .
«Every time I'm on the doorstep, I always find that the mention of Rishi Sunak as Prime Minister improves the conversation in my direction.
«Even people who like Boris are not exceptional people who think Rishi is doing a good job and love Rishi.»
Mr. Johnson did not immediately comment on Mr. Hands' remarks when he addressed The Telegraph on Friday.< /p>
Mr Hands also said he wants the party to choose a candidate to fight London Mayor Sadiq Khan for the right to head city hall by the end of July.
He said: «We're going to set a schedule for when that happens, but we'll have a candidate before the summer break.»
Samuel Kasumu, Mr Johnson's former aide at 10 St Downing, was one of the first candidates this week supported by Ministers Grant Shapps and Steve Baker and former Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Listen to the Chopper's Politics podcast featuring interviews with Greg Hands MP, Maria Caulfield MP and Samuel Kasumu in Chopper's Politics, a weekly political The Telegraph podcast, using the audio player at the top of this article, or in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.
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