ESTHER McVey has branded Boris Johnson’s new column in the Daily Mail as “dangerous” and said he will use it to “keep Rishi on his toes”.

The former cabinet minister told GB News this morning: “He’s talking about how do we, as a nation, become less obese, but more importantly, later on, he talks about conservative values and how that has to be about choice about education about self restraint, self responsibility, and we shouldn’t be a nanny state.

“Why is he talking about that? Where did it come from? Well, I can tell you exactly where it came from. And when I show you where it came from, I will then talk about how dangerous this is going to be for Rishi as the Prime Minister.”

The MP, who presents a show with her husband Philip Davies, played a clip of last week’s PMQs where the MP for Shipley asked if the Prime Minister will be pursuing “a more Conservative agenda” and scrap the policy to ban “buy one get one free” deals.

Mr Davies described the policy as “an idiotic triumph for the nanny state” and “a socialist landmine the Prime Minister has inherited from the former member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip”.

Mr Johnson’s first column focused on the issue of obesity and the use of wonder-drug Semaglutide which has helped people lose weight.

Ms McVey said: “This is the start of where this column comes from, where he [Boris] puts, ‘I agree with fundamental Conservative instincts that we should be relying on our ability to be in charge of things.’

“And at the same time in the papers this weekend we have got an announcement from the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: ‘Ban on By One Get One Free junk food delayed because it is not fair.’

“What I’m saying, and this is what will be happening: Boris will be watching PMQs every Wednesday to see which is the most incendiary question that has been asked.

“There will be a little bit of him protecting himself what he did as leader but equally keeping Rishi Sunak on his toes.”

“I think that’s the triangulation: backbenchers and their demands, him as a previous Prime Minister, Rishi as the current Prime Minister and he’s going to be pushing forward the issues of the day.”