Boris rejects ‘coronation’ plan to install him in Number 10

Tory leadership front runner Boris Johnson has rejected a plan for a ‘coronation’ to see him installed in Number 10 without a vote of party members. 

Senior party grandees believe the former London mayor’s lead among his colleagues is unassailable, so he should be fast-tracked into Downing Street. 

Earlier, Mr Johnson said he was not going to attend a debate on Channel 4 this weekend as it would result in ‘blue on blue attacks’. However, he has also rejected the coronation idea as ‘totally wrong’.  

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But as he arrived, he was the first candidate to refuse to answer questions from reporters

Conservative leadership contenders have criticised a secret plan to crown Boris Johnson as prime minister as the first hustings today got underway. Above: Mr Johnson (left) seen leaving his home before his arrival at the Convention Hustings in central London (right), where he refused to answer questions from reporters

According to The Telegraph, in hustings, Mr Johnson was asked whether the coronation plan should go head. He replied: ‘No, no, no. I think that would be totally wrong. We must have a proper vote, we must have a proper contest.

‘I think it is very important that whoever is leader has a mandate both from the MPs and from the party and the country.’ 

Mr Johnson’s rivals dismissed the secret plan claiming the leadership election should continue until its natural conclusion. 

The plan was proposed by senior ministers amid concerns that a six-week battle of candidates criticising each other would leave whoever wins weakened, providing ammunition for Jeremy Corbyn. 

But Sajid Javid and Rory Stewart warned against any ‘coronation’ as they arrived for the Conservative National Convention Hustings in central London, while Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt expressed the same view. 

All six of the candidates for the Conservative leadership – Mr Johnson, Mr Hunt, Mr Stewart, Mr Javid, Mr Raab and Michael Gove made their pitches to local volunteers at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel. 

Mr Gove did not speak to reporters as he arrived and entered through a side door, which attracted criticism from Mr Stewart.  

Mr Javid, the Home Secretary, was greeted by a heckler who shouted ‘People’s Vote Home Secretary’ as he arrived.

He told reporters: ‘I don’t want to see a coronation. There needs to be a proper process that’s followed through.

Sajid Javid told reporters 'I don't want to see a coronation,' saying there needs to be 'a proper process that is followed through'

Mr Stewart said: 'We should have learned from the last time round coronations are not the way to do democratic politics.'

Sajid Javid and Rory Stewart arrived at the Conservative National Convention in central London and both warned against a Boris Johnson ‘coronation’ plan launched by senior ministers. Both men said they did not want to see a ‘coronation’ 

Mr Javid also told reporters it was 'clear' Boris Johnson would be one of the final two leadership candidates but he was happy to be in the running

Mr Javid also told reporters it was ‘clear’ Boris Johnson would be one of the final two leadership candidates but he was happy to be in the running

Above: Jeremy Hunt arrives for the convention. He previously warned against a 'coronation' of Mr Johnson

Above: Jeremy Hunt arrives for the convention. He previously warned against a ‘coronation’ of Mr Johnson

‘We had a coronation the last time. That didn’t work out well so let’s not make the same mistake again.

‘Let’s give the opportunity to the members to have their say.’ 

He added it was ‘clear’ Boris Johnson would be one of the final two leadership candidates but he was happy to be in the running. 

Mr Stewart echoed Mr Javid’s comments and said the party members ‘deserve a choice’. 

‘The members of the Conservative Party who are wise, sensible, experienced people, deserve to have a choice,’ he said.

‘We should have learned from the last time round coronations are not the way to do democratic politics.’

As Mr Stewart left the hustings he said Mr Johnson’s decision to enter though a side door was ‘very strange’. 

He said: ‘The whole genius of British politics is that we don’t behave like American presidents sweeping up in a motorcade. We’re all about talking to people.’ 

Their comments came following the  controversial ‘coronation’ proposal, which was reported by the Daily Telegraph. 

It would see other leadership contenders stand aside next week in favour of Mr Johnson, who has built up an enormous lead among MPs and Tory members.

Members would then have a ‘confirmatory’ vote on whether or not they want Mr Johnson to be leader.   

And yesterday, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also warned against a ‘coronation’ of Mr Johnson and criticised his refusal to appear in a Channel 4 debate featuring the contenders.  

He said: ‘What would Churchill say if someone who wants to be prime minister of the UK is hiding away from the media, not taking part in these big occasions?

‘What people are worried about is that we could be heading for a re-run of the 2016 campaign [when Theresa May was chosen] where we effectively had a coronation without a huge amount of scrutiny.’

Environment Secretary Michael Gove is also running to replace Theresa May and was photographed arriving at today's meeting

Environment Secretary Michael Gove is also running to replace Theresa May and was photographed arriving at today’s meeting 

Mr Johnson, who has been criticised for his reluctance to submit to media scrutiny, avoided reporters as his Range Rover pulled up at a side door at the London hotel where the event was being held. 

He also did not answer questions when he left the event.   

Last night Mr Stewart questioned whether Conservative party members would accept only Mr Johnson’s name going forward to them.

Mr Stewart said as he arrived at the event: 'We should have learned from the last time round coronations are not the way to do democratic politics'

Mr Stewart said as he arrived at the event: ‘We should have learned from the last time round coronations are not the way to do democratic politics’

Last night he also questioned whether Conservative members would accept a 'coronation' of Mr Johnson : 'Please write to your MP if you think this is not a good idea and please RT if you think anyone else might think this is not a good idea....'

Last night he also questioned whether Conservative members would accept a ‘coronation’ of Mr Johnson : ‘Please write to your MP if you think this is not a good idea and please RT if you think anyone else might think this is not a good idea….’

He said in a Tweet: ‘Please write to your MP if you think this is not a good idea and please RT if you think anyone else might think this is not a good idea.’

Today, Mr Stewart rowed back on his previous fierce criticism of Mr Johnson.   

Asked if he would allow Boris Johnson to serve in his cabinet, Mr Stewart said: ‘That would very much be a decision for him but I would be honoured to have him. 

‘He is an amazing communicator.’

Mr Stewart, an outsider, previously said he would not serve under Mr Johnson before apparently backtracking to announce he would.  

The ‘coronation’ proposal would be highly controversial within the party following criticism of the manner in which Theresa May became Prime Minister in 2016.

Her sole rival for the post, Andrea Leadsom, pulled out of the race, meaning that Mrs May became Prime Minister by default.  

Mr Johnson is the overwhelming favourite to become Tory leader and prime minister – he received the backing of 114 MPs in the first round of voting on Thursday. 

Trailing far behind was Jeremy Hunt on 43, Michael Gove on 37, Dominic Raab on 27, Sajid Javid on 23 and Rory Stewart scraping through on 19. 

Mr Raab, who spoke to reporters about how he would stop Boris Johnson as he left today’s hustings, said there needed to be a proper contest. 

‘We should have proper scrutiny of everyone. The longer this goes on, the more the underdog gets their shot.’ 

He added: ‘I’m just getting started. I’m the candidate I think can be most trusted to deliver on Brexit.

‘We’ve got to get Brexit done to deliver a fairer deal for workers, a fairer society and unite the aspirational working middle classes of this country. 

‘That’s how we get out of this rut.’

Mr Raab had previously criticised Mr Johnson in an interview with The Telegraph.

He said that he, being a grammar school boy and the son of a refugee, would be in a better position to win a general election than someone who is ‘easily caricatured as being from the privileged elite’.  

Mr Johnson attended prestigious private school Eton with former prime minister David Cameron and the pair went on to study at Oxford together. 

Boris Johnson may be the only Conservative Party leadership candidate to be put to the party’s membership in the ongoing leadership election under a secret plan hatched by senior ministers to avoid damaging internal fighting

Mr Raab also attacked his plan for a tax cut for people earning over £50,000 – contrasting it with his own proposal to help those on low income. 

The former Brexit secretary poured scorn on Mr Johnson’s reluctance to appear in the television debates, questioning whether he had the ‘mettle’ to be prime minister. 

Mr Johnson made it clear that he will not be taking part in the first TV debate on Channel 4 on Sunday but did agree to appear in the second debate, on the BBC, on Tuesday.  

The biggest hurdle to the ‘coronation’ proposal succeeding is convincing Conservative Party chairman Brandon Lewis to back it. 

He is insistent that the candidates need to be grilled by members during 16 events in every region of the UK across four weeks, starting in Birmingham on Saturday, June 22.

But the ministers behind the plan hope the proposal for a ‘confirmatory ballot’ will lessen Mr Lewis’s concerns. 

Yesterday, Mr Johnson hinted he would be happy with only his name going forward to members as he said: ‘The public have had quite a lot of ‘blue on blue’ action frankly over the last three years. We don’t necessarily need a lot more of that.’ 

However, senior Tory MPs Dame Cheryl Gillan and Charles Walker, returning officers for the membership ballot, made it clear that all candidates are expected to take part in the whole process.

Fellow candidate and Brexiteer Dominic Raab also criticised Mr Johnson's refusal to appear in a debate among contenders on Channel 4, hinting that he too wants to see through the contest to its conclusion. Above: Mr Javid arrives at the convention today

Fellow candidate and Brexiteer Dominic Raab also criticised Mr Johnson’s refusal to appear in a debate among contenders on Channel 4, hinting that he too wants to see through the contest to its conclusion. Above: Mr Javid arrives at the convention

Mr Walker warned earlier this month that the party would not accept a ‘coronation’ of Mr Johnson.

He said: ‘The expectation is that if they are in the final two, they will put themselves through the membership hustings.

‘We’ve had a conversation with those who have indicated they are going to put their papers in.

‘There is a great recognition across the parliamentary party that this does need to go to the membership this time. 

‘Potential candidates are fully aware of that and hopefully relishing the prospect.’ 

Mr Walker said all existing candidates had indicated they would not pull out. 

A source close to Mr Johnson told The Telegraph that he was ‘happy’ to take part in the whole contest, including hustings with rival candidates. 

Postal ballots for members are only being sent out on 8-9 July, which means the result cannot easily be moved forward from the week of July 22. 

Matt Hancock – who gained just 20 supporters in the first ballot – dropped out of the race yesterday, and those who backed him are said to be shifting their support to Environment Secretary Michael Gove.  

Mr Hancock had said on Twitter: ‘I ran as the candidate of the future, but the Party is understandably looking for a candidate for the unique circumstances we face right now.’  

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