Sir Gavin Williamson hails 'rare talent' as Boris Johnson backs new PM
Sir Gavin Williamson has hailed the "rare talent" of Boris Johnson as the former Prime Minister threw his support behind Rishi Sunak.
The South Staffordshire MP said his party needed to "focus on the future" under the leadership of Mr Sunak, who has pledged to unite his party and the country after taking over in Number 10 following the resignation of Liz Truss.
And he said he hoped Mr Johnson would play his part in getting the Conservatives back on track. Mr Johnson resigned from office in September after MPs including Mr Sunak turned against him after a series of scandals.
He has congratulated Mr Sunak on becoming PM, saying: "This is the moment for every Conservative to give our new PM their full and wholehearted support."
Sir Gavin, who was involved in Mr Sunak's leadership campaign team, told the Star: "I have been a supporter of Boris and we all saw how much he was able to achieve as Prime Minister.
"We did however, hit a difficult position and now is the time for all of us to focus on the future. Boris will always be an enormous figure in public life.
"I very much hope he harnesses his abilities in supporting and developing the Conservative Party, and most importantly Britain's prospects, because he is a rare talent."
Mr Sunak, who served as Chancellor in Mr Johnson's administration before resigning in July, praised his former boss in his first speech as PM outside Number 10.
He said: "I will always be grateful to Boris Johnson for his incredible achievements as Prime Minister, and I treasure his warmth and generosity of spirit."
Sir Gavin said the new PM had a big challenge on his hands to get the country back on track amid continuing economic challenges.
He said the new PM was "committed to levelling up" and added: "He knows that everything has got to be about delivery."
