Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and other leading figures campaigning for Britain to leave the EU could be offered senior cabinet roles after June’s referendum, under plans being considered by the prime minister.
Sources have told the Guardian that David Cameron is keen to undertake a “unity reshuffle” in an attempt to heal wounds in the party, whose Eurosceptic wing is furious at the government’s handling of the plebiscite.
Downing Street riled swaths of the party last week with the announcement that it was spending £9m of taxpayers’ money to send a pro-EU leaflet to 27m homes. The Conservative MP and leading Brexit campaigner Bernard Jenkin said some of his colleagues were “incandescent” about the move.
The Sunday Times reported that Johnson could be asked to step into one of the cabinet’s most senior roles, such as health, home or foreign secretary, while Gove could be appointed deputy prime minister.
It said Downing Street was working on a “save Dave” plan, and “peace talks” had been held between senior aides of the prime minister and the London mayor.
