Theresa May warns there will be 'no deals' with Boris Johnson in battle for Tory leadership

Contenders: Tory leadership hopefuls Boris Johnson and Theresa May
Andrew Matthews/PA Wire
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Theresa May today vowed there would be “no deals” with Boris Johnson as she won heavyweight new backers for her bid to become Tory leader.

The Home Secretary’s spokesman said she would “rather lose” the battle to succeed David Cameron than compromise by striking a bargain with her chief rival.

In a boost to Mrs May, Cabinet minister Justine Greening - one of Boris’s closest friends in the battle to stop a third runway - swung behind her, hailing her “professionalism and steel”.

And in another coup, Justice Minister Mike Penning - a former top aide to Iain Duncan Smith and committed Brexiteer - said he would back her over Boris because she was “tough and experienced”.

Mrs May and Mr Johnson are set to formally declare their candidacies tomorrow shortly before nominations close.

Mr Johnson looks set to have at least 100 backers - and was cheered by over 100 Leave campaign MPs at a private meeting held in Westminster.

Justine Greening praised Theresa May's “professionalism and steel”

It emerged that an attempt to bring the two together on a joint ticket failed when Mr Johnson was kept waiting for 20 minutes by the Home Secretary who announced she was not coming.

Mrs May’s spokeswomen declared after the incident was revealed: “Theresa is in it to win it. She does not want any deals.

“She would rather lose than do a deal.”

Mrs May and Mr Johnson, the frontrunners, are set to declare formally tomorrow, shortly before nominations close.

Ms Greening the International Development Secretary, told the Evening Standard exclusively that although both were strong candidates, the Home Secretary’s mettle in negotiations in Brussels gave her the edge.

“She has the professionalism and steeliness required to look those bureaucrats in the eye and get the deal we need,” she said.

“Everyone knows the competence and experience she has shown as the longest serving Home Secretary in over 100 years.

“It is the toughest job in government after that of Prime Minister and she has dealt with its challenges with immense professionalism.”

Ms Greening said Mrs May had also opened the doors for a generation of women Tory MPs as party chairman.

“As a role model she is inspirational for many people coming into politics,” she said. “And she had the guts to tell the Tory Party it needed to modernise. That’s real leadership.”

Mr Penning, who played key roles in past leadership campaigns for right wingers IDS and John Redwood, worked with Mrs May as a minister and said: “I have seen her in action and she is steadfast and tough.”

The former fireman backed the Brexit campaign but said what mattered was the next PM’s skill at delivering the referendum verdict. “I think she has the skill and experience to do it,” she said. “She is tough negotiating with the Treasury and always fights her corner.

“In Brussels they know her and respect her.”

Environment Secretary Liz Truss, who supported the Remain campaign, came out for Mr Johnson, saying only a Leave supporter could effectively do the job.

“This leadership must now come from someone who believes in, and campaigned for, leaving the EU,” she said.

“I do not think anyone who campaigned for us to stay in the EU would be able to secure that trust in the same way.”

Education Secretary Nicky Morgan appeared to be running out of time to gather enough supporters for a bid.

She told BBC radio: “The essence of my campaign is that, of course we have to deal with the result from last week and the exit negotiations from the EU to get the possible deal for the British people, but we cannot have the next three and a half years until 2020 defined by just Europe.”

She said there is a “positive case to be made for immigration” that is not often heard.

In Brussels this morning, leaders of the other 27 member states held an informal summit without Britain being allowed a chair.

David Cameron flew home early and they were expected to issue a statement demanding that Britain exit “quickly”.

A draft called for the UK withdrawal to be done in “an orderly fashion”, said any future deal must balance “rights and obligations” - code for no single market without cash payments and free movement.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said Europe must start listening to its citizens on issues like immigration and economic growth. “We all need to wake up and smell the coffee,” she said.

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