The Tories could become the third largest party in the Commons after the next General Election, according to former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.

In an interview with Camilla Tominey on GB News, she also claimed that Rishi Sunak had plotted for seven years to become Prime Minister.

Asked if Boris Johnson could return to campaign for the Conservatives, Dorries said: “We’re all united in the fight against socialism and we don’t want that to happen. But I think you know, with the greatest respect, there are basic courtesies which need to take place, given what Rishi Sunak did over a seven-year period to make sure that he became Prime Minister.

“There are certain things that Rishi Sunak needs to do. One of them is he needs to swallow a bit of humble pie and accept the fact that he’s taking the Conservative Party into a massive, crushing defeat and a defeat which may see us back in Westminster as the third party.

“I think if he wants the help of Boris Johnson, he’s going to have to pick up the phone and ask for it.”

Asked if Johnson could return as a party vice-chairman, she said: “Can we envisage a Conservative Party of the future without Boris Johnson playing a major key role? I’ll say no, it’s unthinkable.

“This is the winner, he’s the winner. Why would the Conservative Party contemplate that? And actually, when you look at what’s happened to the Conservative Party since they removed him, what has happened? It has sunk faster than a stone.”

Dorries revealed that she is penning a sequel to her book: “I’m doing a second book now, it’s a follow on from The Plot, going into slightly more detail on these issues…

“There are a great many things that Boris Johnson did when he was Prime Minister…he was really fantastic and the reason why we won an 80-seat majority was because he had a foot in every camp.

“He had Net Zero, he had animal welfare, and over on the right, he had Brexit and he [wanted] tax cuts. And when Rishi Sunak became his Chancellor, he blocked it.”

On Michael Gove, she said: “You could always ask the reason why he’s never held high office. He’s never held high office because Michael Gove is infamous for his leaking.”

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