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Addressing insurance brokers at a conference in Manchester, he said: “I’m going to go for it. Of course I’m going to go for it.
“I don’t think that is any particular secret to anybody. But you know, there is no vacancy at present.” [...]
However, he then added: “But I’ll answer your question nonetheless. There’s no vacancy. On the other hand, what I will say is that there has been a real lack of grip and dynamism in the way we’ve approached these talks.
“We’ve failed over the past three years to put forward a convincing narrative about how we exploit the opportunities of Brexit.
“All I can say, as tactfully and usefully as I can, is that I have a boundless appetite to try to get it right, and to help the country to get on the right path.”
Earlier Johnson said he had predicted the rapid rise of the Brexit party – or a party of similar rightwing leanings – 18 months ago.
“I said if we continued in this supine way there would rise again, like a great puff ball, a rightwing party. The only way to address it is for us to get Brexit done, but also to get it done in such a way that we actually deliver on the mandate of the British people.
“If we can’t do that there really will continue to be that threat from the Brexit party and others. People will just say that democracy is being ignored, and that one way or another the ruling elite are conspiring collectively, whether overtly or not, to subvert it.” [...]