MP Soames backs Boris for Prime Minister two months after saying he did not have '˜stature' for job

The former Mayor of London and Lord Chancellor Michael Gove have been the two most outspoken supporters of the leave campaign within the Tory Party, and Sir Nicholas Soames described being ‘personally devastated’ by the EU referendum result on Friday morning.

David Cameron announced he would be resigning as Prime Minister following the result, and said he expected a replacement to be in place before the Conservative Party Conference in October to begin negotiations over an exit from the EU.

Today the Mid Sussex MP said that Boris would be a ‘great PM’ on Twitter, and the ‘Gover’ makes it a ‘top team’.

One user replied: “Bad call Soames. Disappointed.”

Another said: “Is this a joke?”

Home Secretary Theresa May is the other leading candidate, while Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb is also reported to be standing.

Speaking to LBC’s Iain Dale in mid-April about a Sun article where Mr Johnson attacked President of the United States of America Barack Obama’s stance on the referendum, Sir Nicholas said: “I do not think Boris has the stature to be leader of the Conservative Party no.

“He’s a good egg as a mayor and he gets stuck on a high wire and all that and everyone loves him but being Prime Minister is being Prime Minister and I do not think that Boris is a Prime Minister no.”

He went on to say he was ‘very fond of Boris’, but this was ‘business’, and the article showed ‘rotten judgement’.

He added: “I don’t care what Boris says frankly, nine times out of ten it’s rubbish.”

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