TORY MP Tobias Ellwood says Boris Johnson “now recognises he was wrong” over decisions he made on defence when Prime Minister.

In an exclusive interview with GB News, Mr Ellwood also indicated calls for Mr Johnson to return to Number 10 wouldn’t be supported by MPs.

His comments come days after a GB News poll showed Mr Johnson was rated the best Tory PM since 2019 by voters.

Mr Ellwood also spoke of his growing fears about the way Russia and China are joining forces – saying we are on the path towards a new Cold War.

And he also spoke out about the growing support for Lee Anderson, which has led to some even tipping him as a future leader, a suggestion Mr Elwood believes can’t be taken seriously.

Speaking to Camilla Tominey Today, Mr Elwood, a former soldier, and the Chair of the Defence Select Committee reflected on the pair’s recent clash over defence for the UK,

Mr Ellwood said: “He’s an incredible communicator. There’s no doubt about it. But let’s not forget why he ended up being thrown out by his own ministers. 50 resigned in one day because he wasn’t telling the truth and all these polls are interesting, of course they are.

“But the most critical poll that’s important is whether a prime minister has the support of their own backbench MPs. Without that it’s a non-starter and we saw that with Liz Truss as well.”

Opening up on the clash at the November Committee meeting where Boris Johnson championed cyber and space security over land defences, Ellwood said: “He was completely wrong. And I think he now recognises that.

“I mean, this whole idea that we were going to move our entire defence posture to some sort of cyber and space security at the cost of our land warfare capabilities was wrong.

“Back in 1990, at the end of the Cold War, we had over 900 battle tanks, and we’ve cut that down now to about 148 frigates and destroyers.

“We had over 50 of those protecting our sea lanes around the world. We embrace globalisation, so we need to continue to protect those. You can’t do that with just 148 frigates and destroyers.
“Really we’re still on a peacetime budget.

“We moved into a new era of insecurity and I’ll make it really clear we’re still in denial; Another Cold War has started, not on one front but on two fronts with Russia and China.

“My concern is that Russia and China are now going to merge together, knowing that they can exploit the international rules-based order. We need to stand up and that’s what Britain’s done in the past, and needs to do in the future.”

Dismissing the idea of Lee Anderson as a leader candidate, Ellwood said: “Are we having a serious conversation here?

“Leading the country you need to be able to command all tribes in the Conservative Party from the centre ground and appeal to the whole of the nation.

“Not just to a particular angle, or a particular cohort, or a particular part of the spectrum, which I appreciate Lee Anderson does very well indeed.”