Boris Johnson must stop defending the “Boriswave” of millions of migrants, a Tory grandee has said.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the treasurer of the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs, has warned that Mr Johnson should be “seen and not heard”.
Almost four million people arrived in Britain after the Brexiteer PM and then-Home Secretary Priti Patel introduced the “New Plan for Immigration” in 2021.
Many blame these record figures for the Conservatives’ historic General Election defeat last year – and the rise of Reform UK, which is leading in the polls.
But Mr Johnson this week came out fighting against claims that this was a “Boriswave” and was something to be ashamed of, insisting: “My mandate was to take back control and that’s what I did.”
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the treasurer of the 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs, said that Mr Johnson had been “widely discredited” on the issue.
Last year, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch admitted the Conservatives had got it wrong on immigration.
And the North Cotswolds MP urged Mr Johnson to stop speaking out, telling today’s Chopper’s Political Podcast: “I would always say that previous Prime Ministers should all be seen and not heard.”
Boris Johnson had been ‘widely discredited’ on the issue, Sir Geoffrey asserted
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Sir Geoffrey added: “Even the Labour Party are now saying things about immigration that they would never have said five years ago because they are reacting to public opinion. I get it a lot from my constituents.
“The North Cotswolds is not exactly where you’d get a lot of immigrants, but they’re worried about too many people coming into this country, taking their school places, taking GP places, and the housing ladder.
“They just feel that there are too many people coming in. It’s not that they don’t want them to come in, but there are just too many of them.”
Sir Geoffrey also played down suggestions that Mrs Badenoch might face a vote of no confidence after November 1, the first anniversary of her being elected leader of the Conservative Party.
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He said: “Part of my job as treasurer of the 1922 is to talk to lots of colleagues. I don’t get the sense that there is many, if any, out there are so dissatisfied, and particularly after last week, that they’re going to put letters in.
“I think that if we had another change of leader at this moment, we would look utterly ridiculous. So I think she’s got to be allowed a little more time to do what she’s doing.”
Sir Geoffrey was speaking as he marked a year as chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, which keeps an eye on public spending by the Government.
On NHS pay, he said there was “some merit” in cutting doctors’ pay pension entitlements and adding them to salaries to lift salaries, particularly for those on low incomes.
He said: “We’ve got to consider this. Otherwise, it’ll completely bankrupt us by the next generation.”
Watch or listen to Chopper’s Political Podcast on GB News’ YouTube channel or wherever you get your podcasts