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| Boris Johnson may be better off in another job, says Malcolm Rifkind | Boris Johnson may be better off in another job, says Malcolm Rifkind |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson may be more suited to another cabinet position after his criticism of Saudi Arabia, which was “completely at variance” with the government’s position, the former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind has said. | Boris Johnson may be more suited to another cabinet position after his criticism of Saudi Arabia, which was “completely at variance” with the government’s position, the former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind has said. |
| Rifkind said Johnson is in a unique position to seek to change government policy towards Saudi Arabia as foreign secretary, but should not have gone off message in such a way. | Rifkind said Johnson is in a unique position to seek to change government policy towards Saudi Arabia as foreign secretary, but should not have gone off message in such a way. |
| “What he is not entitled to do is make public statements at a major event in Rome that are completely at variance with the government’s line. He must have known that, at least he ought to have known that, and he should not have done it,” Rifkind told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. | “What he is not entitled to do is make public statements at a major event in Rome that are completely at variance with the government’s line. He must have known that, at least he ought to have known that, and he should not have done it,” Rifkind told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. |
| He suggested that Johnson’s approach could see him demoted and said foreign secretaries could not be celebrities while carrying out the role. | He suggested that Johnson’s approach could see him demoted and said foreign secretaries could not be celebrities while carrying out the role. |
| “He might end up being more comfortable in another senior cabinet position,” Rifkind said. | “He might end up being more comfortable in another senior cabinet position,” Rifkind said. |
| The foreign secretary’s claim that Saudi Arabia was “puppeteering and playing proxy wars” in the Middle East, reported by the Guardian, prompted a strong rebuke from No 10 on Thursday . | |
| The incident has deepened tensions between Theresa May and Johnson. His a llies have signalled that he is frustrated with the prime minister ’s jokes at his expense and slapdowns of several comments by Downing Street. | |
| The foreign secretary faces a difficult trip to the Gulf as he visits Bahrain on Friday, followed by Saudi Arabia. No 10 did not say whether May would push Johnson to smooth things over by retracting his remarks when he arrives in Riyadh. | The foreign secretary faces a difficult trip to the Gulf as he visits Bahrain on Friday, followed by Saudi Arabia. No 10 did not say whether May would push Johnson to smooth things over by retracting his remarks when he arrives in Riyadh. |
| But a supporter of Johnson said he would not be apologising, because the comments were an accurate reflection of what he has been saying in private in Saudi Arabia . | |
| While the government has a longstanding position of not criticising Saudi Arabia as a close ally, there are others in the Conservative party who support the foreign secretary’s stance. | While the government has a longstanding position of not criticising Saudi Arabia as a close ally, there are others in the Conservative party who support the foreign secretary’s stance. |
| The former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said: “The reality is that Britain has a complicated relationship with Saudi Arabia and our economic and political interests do not always coincide. | The former international development secretary Andrew Mitchell said: “The reality is that Britain has a complicated relationship with Saudi Arabia and our economic and political interests do not always coincide. |
| “In many ways, Saudi is an important ally, but we have a duty as their candid friend to warn them about areas of difficulty.” | “In many ways, Saudi is an important ally, but we have a duty as their candid friend to warn them about areas of difficulty.” |
| Johnson was also defended by Sarah Wollaston, the MP for Totnes, who criticised Saudi Arabia’s record on human rights. | Johnson was also defended by Sarah Wollaston, the MP for Totnes, who criticised Saudi Arabia’s record on human rights. |
| #Boris was speaking the truth on proxy wars and it's time for all parties in the region to end the sectarian bloodbath | #Boris was speaking the truth on proxy wars and it's time for all parties in the region to end the sectarian bloodbath |