Rishi Sunak claims he still speaks to Boris Johnson and refuses to rule out bringing him back into government

Rishi Sunak has claimed he still speaks to Boris Johnson ‘on occasion’ despite their huge fallout when he quit as chancellor.

The PM also pointedly refused to rule out bringing the former premier back into government, saying he was ‘proud’ of what they achieved together.

The comments came in an in-depth interview with ITV News, in which Mr Sunak gave an insight into his childhood and experiences of racism.

However, allies of Mr Johnson – whom even now many Tories would like to see back in No10 – suggested the pair have not been in touch.

Rishi Sunak has claimed he still speaks to Boris Johnson ‘on occasion’ despite their huge fallout when he quit as chancellor

The PM also pointedly refused to rule out bringing Mr Johnson (pictured) back into government, saying he was ‘proud’ of what they achieved together

Former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries posted on social media that the current and ex-PM ‘never speak’

Former Cabinet minister Nadine Dorries posted on social media that the current and ex-PM ‘never speak’.

Asked in an interview with ITV whether he misses Mr Johnson, Mr Sunak said: ‘I’m proud of the work that we did together. And we worked well together for a long time. In the end there are, you know, well-documented differences’.

On whether he would consider offering a Cabinet position to the ex-MP, who quit the Commons last year after a parliamentary committee found he had lied to the House over partygate, Mr Sunak said: ‘Well, I never talk about these personnel things, but look, I, you know, I speak to him on an occasion.’

The last time the pair spoke was ‘late last year’, he suggested.

However, Mr Sunak insisted he has a ‘completely new team’ in which ‘people are held accountable.’

‘I make sure that everyone is honest about what’s going on. It’s very transparent,’ he said.

Mr Sunak served as chancellor in Mr Johnson’s government for two years before resigning along with then-health secretary Sajid Javid in July 2022, triggering a mass exodus of MPs from government and party roles.

A rivalry between Mr Sunak and his former boss then emerged as he embarked on a campaign for Mr Johnson’s job, with both vying to take back control of the Tory Party following Liz Truss’ short-lived tenure as PM.

Elsewhere in the interview, the Prime Minister insisted plots against him are ‘minuscule’ following reports of Tory MPs seeking to replace him as leader.

‘I don’t think the country votes for divided parties,’ he said.

‘And you know, actually I think that the vast majority of our party is united. And you, you know, obviously, recently we’ve been having some debates on illegal migration but actually the debates within our party are minuscule compared to the chasm on this issue between us and Keir Starmer.’

The comments came in an in-depth interview with ITV News, in which Mr Sunak gave an insight into his childhood and experiences of racism

The Prime Minister also insisted his wealth is not an issue for voters and accused those who attack him over it of having a ‘lack of ambition for our country’.

Mr Sunak and his wife, Akshata Murty, have a combined wealth estimated at about £529 million, according to 2023’s Sunday Times Rich List.

Polling suggests the Prime Minister faces an uphill battle ahead of the general election expected later this year, with Labour currently enjoying a sustained lead.

‘I think most people in our country are fair-minded,’ Mr Sunak said.

‘And you know what, if someone wants to attack that or make it a political smear, I actually think it says more about them and their ambition for our country, or lack of it, than it does about me and where I come from.’