London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 02, 2025

Asking for second chance for the 5th time: Give PM time and space to deliver, says Kwasi Kwarteng

Asking for second chance for the 5th time: Give PM time and space to deliver, says Kwasi Kwarteng

The business secretary says Boris Johnson is focused on the job, but MPs continue to question his future as him and ALL his key ministers break the law, time after time.

The business secretary has appealed to his party to give Boris Johnson the "time and space to deliver" on the government's promises as pressure continues to mount on his leadership.

The PM had another difficult week, with a critical report into No 10 lockdown parties and five senior aides quitting.

More Tory MPs also declared publicly they had no confidence in him.

But Kwasi Kwarteng said the PM was carrying out his commitment for a reset in No 10 and focused on policies.

And he told the BBC's Sunday Morning programme the "ongoing focus on 'partygate' is not helping anyone".

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith also told the programme he believed Mr Johnson should stay in his role as "the prime minister is the one that has to sort this out", adding: "[He] bears the overall responsibility".

And he warned other MPs who could be vying for a leadership bid to "temper their ambition".

But Sir Iain said the government "must do more" to tackle the cost of living crisis and "restore the sense [in the public] there is a government they can trust and respect".

The turmoil in Mr Johnson's government has led to growing questions from Conservatives about the PM's future.

On Monday, Sue Gray's initial findings around parties held in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns said there had been "failures of leadership and judgement".

More detail is also expected to come out as part of a Metropolitan Police investigation into 12 of the gatherings.

The PM also faced criticism - and the distancing of some of his ministers - after making a false claim that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.

This was followed by a string of resignations of senior aides - three of whom were caught up in the lockdown parties row, including senior civil servant Martin Reynolds who sent out an invitation to a "bring your own booze" party.

But one of his longest standing colleagues, Munira Mirza, quit over the Savile remarks and the PM's refusal to apologise.

Mr Johnson announced the appointment of two of their replacements over the weekend, with Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay becoming chief of staff and his former colleague, Guto Harri, taking over as director of communications.

The PM said the pair would "improve how No 10 operates", and it is understood he is considering further changes to his top team.

Mr Harri tweeted that he was "delighted" to take up the role, alongside a picture of him with Peter Capaldi, who played Malcolm Tucker, No 10's director of communications in satire The Thick of It, and said he had "taken advice" from him.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called the new appointments a farce, adding the prime minister had "clearly run out of serious people willing to serve under his chaotic and incompetent leadership".

Mr Kwarteng told the BBC the new hires were "a step in the right direction", adding: "The prime minister has been very clear that he wants to reset No 10.

"And what we saw [this] week was him following through on that commitment."

He said the government had a "serious agenda" to tackle, with a potential war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis and bouncing back from the pandemic, "so I don't think focusing on the parties is necessarily the best way for us to get through this".

But with increasing numbers of MPs writing letters of no confidence in the PM - 54 would be needed to trigger a leadership contest - including former schools minister Nick Gibb, has Mr Johnson lost the support of his party to get on with the job?

"I don't think so at all," said Mr Kwarteng. "I have been an MP for 12 years. In all that time, leadership issues have bubbled to the surface.

"A few people have said they are not happy with the direction and gave their views publicly... [but] on balance, if you look at the party in the round, I think people are just very, very focused on delivering on the manifesto."

The business secretary added: "[Mr Johnson] has got a clear mandate and we have got to give him time and space to deliver on that mandate."

'Strong case for change'


One of those unhappy with the PM's leadership is Tory peer Lord Barwell - a former MP who served as Theresa May's chief of staff when she was prime minister.

He told Sky News: "My inclination is that the Conservative Party would be better making a change and I also think, for the good of the country in terms of trust and faith in our politics, there's a strong case for change."

But Lord Barwell said he did not think there was "a chance in hell that the prime minister is going to voluntarily resign".

Sir Iain - who led the Tories in opposition in the early 2000s - said the parties and the aftermath had been "hugely damaging" to the Conservatives and the public were "very angry".

Asked if the PM could recover that reputation, he told the BBC: "None of us know the answer to that question.

"Respect and trust you have to earn, and when you lose it, it's a very difficult task to get it back across the board."

But he said "internecine warfare" should not be the priority of MPs right now, and the government needed to focus on tackling the cost of living crisis.


Leadership issues have bubbled up throughout my time as an MP - Kwarteng

Watch: A dizzying week for the PM explained in 60 seconds


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
×