Michael Portillo: Conservative ‘chaos’ proves Boris Johnson ‘is no kind of leader’

Michael Portillo has criticised Boris Johnson over the Downing Street Christmas party scandal, saying “he’s playing us for fools”.

Speaking to Dan Wootton on GB News, the former defence secretary acknowledged it has been a difficult week for the Prime Minister, and admitted many people will be questioning if this is now the end for Boris Johnson.

“He has been a popular figure. I remember he won London twice for the Conservatives… and he got Brexit done. These are formidable achievements and if that’s the Boris that still exists today, the Tories will stick with him.

“But is that the Boris we have today? Opinion polls now suggesting that a majority of the population wants him to resign.”

The broadcaster went on to say that Boris “is no kind of leader”, and since the departure of senior advisor Dominic Cummings last year the Party “appears to be as chaotic as ever”.

Asked what advice he would give the Prime Minister to turn things around, Mr Portillo replied: “He needs to be a different person from the one that he is and that stuff is impossible.

“The Boris who wins elections is also the Boris who’s no good at coping with every day life.

“He’s made an industry of being of being buffoonish and chaotic and disorganised.

“But you know, lots of people have loved that about him because they can identify with that, but they can’t entirely identify with chaos. And they certainly can’t identify with being fooled. I think that’s the thing you hear that phrase all the time.

“He’s playing us for fools. You think we’re fools. People don’t like to be played for fools.”

Dan Wootton Tonight is live Monday to Thursday from 9PM on GB News