Kwasi Kwarteng has “not ruled out” returning to the cabinet – despite crashing the economy with his disastrous mini-Budget last year.
The former chancellor was relieved of his duties on 14th October 2022 after just 38 days, making him the second-shortest-serving chancellor in history.
His mini-budget spooked markets and threatened to collapse pension funds amid an “unprecedented” meltdown in UK government bond markets.
Liz Truss, the prime minister at the time, was also forced to resign just days later.
But, speaking to GB News, Kwarteng has kept the door open for a return to the front benches, saying: “I haven’t ruled out anything. I mean, it was a great privilege to be business secretary and then chancellor. I was removed by the prime minister, but let’s be very clear, it wasn’t a plot or anything like that.
“I think it’s the prime minister’s prerogative. And that was what she chose to do. Now looking back and I said it at the time, I thought it was bizarre because it was obvious to me that she wouldn’t last very much longer once she’d taken that move, but that was her decision.”
Kwarteng also showered the current prime minister with praise, insisting that he is “very pro-Rishi”.
“I think the prime minister is doing a good job. He was good enough to call me the day I was sacked, which I thought was very good, you know he behaved very well. And he’s someone I’ve known and admired ever since he got into parliament,” Kwarteng said.
And the former chancellor appears to have forgiven long-time friend, Truss, saying the two are still on speaking terms, following reports to the contrary after Truss sacked him from the Treasury.
