- The Brexit Secretary sparked rumours he could aim to succeed Theresa May
- The 69-year-old showed he was still fit enough to take up Brecon Beacons
- Rumours come after he threatened to resign from the Cabinet two week ago
David Davis has sparked fresh reports that he aims to succeed Theresa May as Tory leader by re-enacting the mountain hike that led to him joining the SAS half a century ago.
The Brexit Secretary tried to show he was still fit enough at 69 to be Prime Minister by taking on the highest part of the 40-mile trek.
And Mr Davis, who threatened to resign from the Cabinet two weeks ago, also said his ‘tough’ SAS background made it easier for him to win ‘macho’ negotiations with Brussels.
The Tory MP was speaking as he was filmed climbing Pen y Fan, the highest peak of the Brecon Beacons in Wales
The Tory MP was speaking as he was filmed climbing Pen y Fan, the highest peak of the Brecon Beacons in Wales, where he qualified for the Territorial Army SAS Regiment as an 18-year-old.
Recalling the rigours of the trek he performed nearly 50 years ago, he said: ‘Nobody looks back on it with pleasure. It’s just something you’ve got to do.’
Wearing a borrowed rucksack identical to the one he had to carry on the SAS course – though minus the 70lbs of kit he had to lug first-time around – he added: ‘I like hard jobs. We all test ourselves, whether on a regimental selection course or negotiating Brexit.’
Mr Davis also spoke about his natural father, who abandoned him and his mother at birth. In the interview on Wales’ S4C by Guto Harri, to be shown on Tuesday, he revealed he was in his 20s when he tracked the man down, a ‘senior civil servant’ from Pontypridd.
The interview and reminder of his ‘action man’ SAS past may lead to speculation that Mr Davis, six months from his 70th birthday, is still capable of taking over No 10.
At threat? Mrs May’s position as Prime Minister could be at risk from MPs within her own party
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