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| Boris Johnson dismisses as 'tripe' reports he is planning to oust May | Boris Johnson dismisses as 'tripe' reports he is planning to oust May |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Boris Johnson has denied that he is manoeuvring to oust Theresa May, as the prime minister struggles to reassert her authority after last week’s general election resulted in a hung parliament. | Boris Johnson has denied that he is manoeuvring to oust Theresa May, as the prime minister struggles to reassert her authority after last week’s general election resulted in a hung parliament. |
| May is hoping to form a government with the backing of the 10 MPs from Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist party, and has sent her chief whip, Gavin Williamson, to Belfast for talks. | May is hoping to form a government with the backing of the 10 MPs from Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist party, and has sent her chief whip, Gavin Williamson, to Belfast for talks. |
| Many Conservative MPs were angered by the conduct of the election campaign, and the content of the party’s manifesto. May’s two closest advisers, her joint chiefs-of-staff Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, resigned on Saturday amid recriminations about their controlling management style. | Many Conservative MPs were angered by the conduct of the election campaign, and the content of the party’s manifesto. May’s two closest advisers, her joint chiefs-of-staff Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy, resigned on Saturday amid recriminations about their controlling management style. |
| Some cabinet ministers – the top five of whom were reappointed on Friday – had urged the prime minister to ditch the pair as a condition of their continued support. | Some cabinet ministers – the top five of whom were reappointed on Friday – had urged the prime minister to ditch the pair as a condition of their continued support. |
| Reports in the Mail on Sunday suggested the foreign secretary was already positioning himself as the successor to May; but he tweeted that the story was “tripe”. | Reports in the Mail on Sunday suggested the foreign secretary was already positioning himself as the successor to May; but he tweeted that the story was “tripe”. |
| Mail on Sunday tripe - I am backing Theresa may. Let's get on with the job | Mail on Sunday tripe - I am backing Theresa may. Let's get on with the job |
| A source said that he had received a series of text messages from colleagues, including several from cabinet ministers, asking him to consider mounting a leadership bid; but he had replied to them all urging loyalty to the prime minister and saying a challenge would be destabilising. | |
| However, May’s position still looks uncertain, with no deal yet agreed with the Democratic Unionist party; and few of Johnson’s colleagues doubt that he would be ready to stand if she was forced to resign in the coming months. | However, May’s position still looks uncertain, with no deal yet agreed with the Democratic Unionist party; and few of Johnson’s colleagues doubt that he would be ready to stand if she was forced to resign in the coming months. |
| The sense of uncertainty was compounded on Saturday night by conflicting messages from Downing Street. A statement – which appeared to have been sent in error – initially suggested a deal had been done with the DUP; but a later version, sent out after midnight, said the talks were continuing. | The sense of uncertainty was compounded on Saturday night by conflicting messages from Downing Street. A statement – which appeared to have been sent in error – initially suggested a deal had been done with the DUP; but a later version, sent out after midnight, said the talks were continuing. |
| “The prime minister has tonight spoken with the DUP to discus finalising a confidence and supply deal when parliament returns next week. We will welcome any such deal being agreed, as it will provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond,” the statement said. | “The prime minister has tonight spoken with the DUP to discus finalising a confidence and supply deal when parliament returns next week. We will welcome any such deal being agreed, as it will provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond,” the statement said. |
| At the start of the campaign, the foreign secretary, who pulled out of the Conservative leadership race last year as his bid was stymied by Michael Gove, made few media appearances, with the message focused entirely on May’s “strong and stable” message. | At the start of the campaign, the foreign secretary, who pulled out of the Conservative leadership race last year as his bid was stymied by Michael Gove, made few media appearances, with the message focused entirely on May’s “strong and stable” message. |
| But in the frenzied final few days of the campaign, with the polls narrowing, Johnson was pushed into the limelight, making a strongly worded speech attacking Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, and introducing May in some of her final pre-election appearances. | But in the frenzied final few days of the campaign, with the polls narrowing, Johnson was pushed into the limelight, making a strongly worded speech attacking Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, and introducing May in some of her final pre-election appearances. |
| Allies said Johnson was spending the weekend resting in Oxfordshire. |