FORMER Conservative Defence Secretary Michael Portillo has said the party would be “absolutely mad” to dump Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

Mr Portillo also praised Mr Johnson as one of the finest politicians he has seen, as rumours of a challenge to his leadership following the Partygate scandal circulate.

He told GB News: “Prime Ministers stack up enemies. There are those that have been overlooked and there are those that they’ve already dispensed with.

“Of course he has luck and it’s very important to be lucky, but what he has is this extraordinary charisma.

“He’s an epic election winner, he is one of the finest politicians that I’ve seen in the years that I’ve been around.”

Mr Portillo made his comments last night in response to questions from Alastair Stewart on GB News.

He said: “I wouldn’t compare him with Margaret Thatcher in terms of having a vision.

“I wouldn’t compare with Tony Blair in terms of transforming a party, but just the business of winning elections, you’ve won London twice. London is a labour city, as we’re about to find out in May.

“He won London twice and won this epic [Commons] majority of 80 seats. That’s what the Tories have to remember.”

Mr Portillo said that the chances of Chancellor Rishi Sunak succeeding Mr Johnson, whose popularity has plummeted over the perception that he failed to tackle the cost of living crisis in his Spring Statement, has diminished.

“This man is a great election winner, so of course he’s been a bit lucky now that Rishi Sunak has faded away – Rishi Sunak is not going to be Conservative leader.

“Liz Truss certainly isn’t ready to be conservative leader. I think the conservatives will be absolutely mad to get rid of him.”

“I think he’s been quite lucky, at least in the order in which these fines have come out.”

He suggested that the fine he received by police for breaching of Covid regulations was a trivial matter.

“As far as I can see for the first fine, they were all in the office together, they’re all hugga-mugga anyway, and they were there when someone turned up with a cake and for ten minutes they ate a piece of cake.”