Sir Malcolm Rifkind, a former foreign secretary, claimed Johnson’s return would be “totally unacceptable” if it happened because he was more likely to win the next election. Sir Malcolm, who is supporting Rishi Sunak, told Times Radio: “I have never heard a worse example of him putting the perceived interest of the party, because it may not even be real, but putting the political interests of the party above the public interest. “Given that the vast majority of the public, including many Conservatives, are struggling with a rise in the cost of living that we all see and the problems of the economy, the prime minister needs to be someone who has economic coherence, who understands the economy, who has shown that he understands this and that he will be able to work closely with the chancellor to restore our financial strength.”
