The Tory leadership contest is well underway with only two candidates – Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt – left in the race. The two are vying to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May, with the result due on July 23. Mr Johnson has for long been the heavy favourite and frontrunner in the leadership contest, and it seems the MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip has already started planning his cabinet.
Could Jacob Rees-Mogg be the UK’s next chancellor?
Although Mr Johnson has not made any comments on Mr Rees-Mogg’s position in his potential cabinet, the Tory backbencher himself made a telling sign.
During a live TV interview, Mr Rees-Mogg hinted he had been offered the job of Chancellor of the Exchequer if Mr Johnson became prime minister.
Mr Rees-Mogg defended Mr Johnson’s pledge to boost broadband infrastructure if he got the keys to No. 10.
READ MORE: Rees-Mogg shuts down claims he called for second Brexit referendum
And the hint came following Justice Secretary David Gauke’s tweet in which he hit out at Mr Johnson and claimed “every Telegraph column by Boris Johnson increases borrowing by billions”.
Mr Gauke added: “If Boris wins, good luck to whoever becomes his Chancellor.
“It would be a noble act of self-sacrifice to accept the job. Who’d do it?”
But Mr Rees-Mogg quickly hit back at the tweets, and insisted high-speed internet coverage was “crucial” to economic success.
READ MORE: Jacob Rees-Mogg fears failure to leave on October 31 will ‘end party’
He said: “I represent a rural constituency which has in part got high-speed access very recently.
“This is an absolutely transformative thing business people can do.
“One of the things that have held us back is that to roll out high-speed broadband, we have needed a derogation from EU rules for state aid, which is absurd.
“Because when you mend a pothole and if you ever did mend potholes in country lanes, that doesn’t count as state aid.
“But when you roll out broadband, which is just as essential, that is state aid. So we will be free to do it. But inevitably a new prime minister will want to spend money differently.
“And there will be different infrastructure projects that another prime minister will impose.”
Asked whether the Tory Brexiteer would “fancy the job of being Boris Johnson’s chancellor”, Mr Rees-Mogg chuckled and insisted he was simply a “humble backbencher”.
He added: “I like being the Member of Parliament for North East Somerset. The key about Boris is if he becomes prime minister, I have a very good chance of retaining my seat.
“If we don’t get Boris then I think the future of the Tory party looks very bleak.”
