Boris Johnson hints he could sack Jacob Rees-Mogg for Grenfell Tower comments

Jacob Rees-Mogg arrives at Number 10 after Boris Johnson became prime minister. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) - Credit: Getty Images

Boris Johnson could sack Jacob Rees-Mogg if the prime minister is re-elected after the election.

The leader of the Common’s ministerial career is in question after he appeared to criticise the victims of Grenfell Tower disaster.

Rees-Mogg has disappeared from the election campaign after making the remarks shortly after the election was called, and did not attend the manifesto launch.

The North East Somerset candidate had to apologise after suggesting the 72 people who died in the incident lacked common sense for following firefighters’ advice to stay in the building.

During an LBC interview Johnson was challenged to explain where Rees-Mogg had gone, and if he had been banned from the campaign for the comments.

Johnson replied: “I’m not going to get into measuring up the curtains type conversations”.

But it was pointed out that the prime minister had already given assurances that Sajid Javid would remain his chancellor.

Asked by the Daily Mail if the Brexiteer had been “exiled to a bunker in Somerset since his comments on Grenfell”, Johnson said: “Any commentary on that would be categorised as people as me being overconfident about this election, this is going to be a very close fought and we’re fighting for every vote.

“Jacob Rees-Mogg and the rest of the cabinet to the best of my knowledge are in very good health and fighting hard right now, for re-election”.

A poll showed that the Lib Dems were the main contender of the Tory candidate in North East Somerset, and tactical voting could see the politician removed.