Boris Johnson has to prepare for a general election, key ally warns – but he promises not to hold one before October 31
BORIS Johnson has to start preparing for a general election even if he's not planning one for another three years, Iain Duncan Smith has warned - but BoJo's promised not to hold one before October 31.
The former Leader of the Conservative Party said yesterday the Government must start getting ready to go back to the polls again.
But this evening Boris promised he wouldn't take the nation back the polls before Brexit on October 31.
Sky News repeatedly pushed him to guarantee Brenda from Bristol that there wouldn't be a snap poll in the next 97 days.
And he replied: "Absolutely".
It comes amid growing speculation that the new Prime Minister is already gearing up to fight one anyway to smash Jeremy Corbyn and get a bigger majority to push through Brexit.
Mr Duncan Smith said: "Any Government worth its salt would prepare for that eventuality.
"But the truth is I doubt whether my party will call for an election prior to the 31st."
Boris has vowed to get Britain out of the EU by October 31 no matter what happens - whether that's without a deal or not.
And Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We live in a parliamentary democracy, you can never rule out general elections in that sense."
In the past 48 hours Boris has filled his top team with experienced campaigners with track records on delivering in elections - including Vote Leave's Dominic Cummings and Rob Oxley.
Purging those who didn't believe in his vision last night in a brutal reshuffle also showed just how seriously he's taking the new administration's main mission - to deliver Brexit come what may.
An election will have been on his mind for the last 11 weeks when he was trying to appeal to the Tory members, who want to see what he would be like on the doorstep.
They said time and time again they were looking for someone both who would deliver Brexit and win them an election, whenever it may come.
Boris' track record winning two Mayoral terms in London would have boosted his support among wavering voters too.
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