'We need a thoroughbred Brexiteer as PM': Tory MP warns of Remainer plot
Boris Johnson's successor must be a "thoroughbred Brexiteer" to fight off a Remainer plot to get Britain back in the EU, a Tory MP has said.
Marco Longhi MP said Brexit was "100 per cent under threat" due to Mr Johnson being forced out of Downing Street after dozens of his ministers resigned.
The Dudley North MP said he would be backing a candidate with a "ruthless focus" on delivering the 2019 manifesto.
And he said sorting out the scourge of illegal immigration must be at the "very top" of the the next leader's list.
Mr Longhi, a trade envoy to Brazil in Mr Johnson's administration, told the Express & Star he would be "surveying the field" before deciding who to back.
"A red line for me is that the next leader is committed to resolutely battling for Brexit," he said.
"Make no mistake, Brexit is 100 per cent under threat and I fully expect to see a concerted effort from MPs – backed by big money – to get us back in the EU.
"Getting rid of Boris was the first major obstacle. The only way we can put a stop to it is to make sure the next Prime Minister is a thoroughbred Brexiteer."
Mr Longhi remained loyal to Mr Johnson during his tenure, but criticised the PM after his resignation for failing to deliver on key issues.
He said: "I supported the Prime Minister because I had faith in him to deliver on the policies that people in Red Wall areas voted him in for, but after three years that simply didn't happen.
"Illegal immigration is a prime example, and must be at the very top of the list for whoever takes over."
He said people were "sick of seeing people coming in across the Channel", claiming 90 per cent of them were "young males claiming asylum", fleeing what he described ironically as 'war-torn' France.
"We have been promised time and time again that this will be sorted out but it just hasn't happened," he said.
Mr Longhi added that the new leader also needed to deal with controlled immigration, by ensuring that sufficient caps were in place and that anyone coming to live in the country was able to help "grow the economy".
"We need to build a strong economy, with a particular emphasis on export growth," he said.
"I will be surveying the field of contenders, and rest assured, my support will be going to someone with a ruthless focus on delivering on our 2019 manifesto."
