Host Kirsty Wark asked Mr Watt if he thought Mr Johnson was unstoppable after he won more than half of the votes in the three-man fifth ballot of Tory MPs. Mr Watt admitted it would be hard to overhaul Mr Johnson’s level of support particularly due to the format of the election. He explained to Ms Wark what he thought the purpose of the ballots were: “It’s designed to send a signal to the membership.”
Indeed, election strategist Sir Lynton Crosby and Mr Johnson’s partner Carrie Symonds have both advised him not to try and make jobs to avoid a slip that undermines his campaign.
Mr Watt said the belief Mr Johnson could kill off his own campaign was a common one among those following the race: “Could there be a skeleton we don’t know about that comes tumbling out of his cupboard?”
He then explained Mr Johnson would have a gruelling campaign against Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt that would involve 16 hustings event: “Could he withstand the pace of the that?”, he pondered.
Mr Johnson takes on Mr Hunt in a ballot of the 160,000 or so party members.
The winner is expected to be announced in the week beginning July 22nd.
The two worked together to deliver the 2012 Olympics with Mr Johnson being London Mayor and Mr Hunt being Minister for the Olympics whilst holding the culture portfolio.
Mr Hunt has his current portfolio after being moved from Health due to Mr Johnson’s resignation following the Chequers agreement.
Brexit Secretary David Davis had resigned the day before and Mr Johnson said Theresa May had caused “a fog of self-doubt” to Brexit negotiations.
He told the Commons he felt the UK had conceded ground over the divorce bill, the ECJ and the Irish border.
Despite Donald Tusk saying the proposal was “a step in the right direction”, the EU rejected the proposals last September.
The proposal looked at creating a closer relationship with the EU and Brexit Britain, continued single market access and a customs agreement on the Irish border.
