Advertisement

Michael Gove refuses to say if he'd prefer Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt as PM

Defeated Tory leadership candidate Michael Gove has refused to say whether he'd prefer Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt to be the next PM.

The environment secretary, eliminated from the contest to succeed Theresa May last week, said: "I'm listening hard to what both Jeremy and Boris have to say.

"I think both of them are making good pitches for the leadership and like the other 170,000 ordinary (Conservative) Party members I'll be listening to them at the hustings and making up my mind in due course."

Gove, who also stood unsuccessfully to replace David Cameron as Tory leader in 2016, added in an interview with ITV News: "I haven't decided yet, I'm just looking at both of the candidates and reflecting on who I think would be the best Prime Minister.

"I think they're both very, very good candidates."

The next PM will be chosen by a ballot of the Conservative Party's members and named on July 22nd.