Chancellor Rishi Sunak has insisted he has no ambition to become Prime Minister, stressing that he “struggles enough” in his current role.
Mr Sunak is often touted as a potential successor to Boris Johnson should he quit as Conservative Party leader in the near future.
At the end of September, an exclusive Ipsos MORI poll revealed that the Eat Out to Help Out architect was trouncing the current PM across a range of leadership qualities.
“I have enough of a struggle just trying to do the job that I have and keep my head above water, quite frankly,” he told the site as part of its “5 minutes with” series.
Responding to suggestions he could be the first non-white national leader he said: "It's probably worth bearing in mind, I'm not even the first non-white chancellor. Saj (Sajid Javid) had the job before me – he had that privilege.
"I think that says a lot about our country quite frankly,” he added. “This is an unbelievably tolerant country where people like my family have been warmly welcomed, Saj's family have been warmly welcomed and integrated into society."
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It is the second time the Chancellor has poured water on suggestions he could be next in line for the UK’s top job.
Asked after his party conference speech last month if he eventually wants to move from Number 11 to the house next door, Mr Sunak laughed: “God, no. Definitely not seeing what the Prime Minister has to deal with.
“This is a job hard enough for me to do.”
Nevertheless, for anyone whose hopes are crushed by Mr Sunak’s claims, it is worth remembering that Mr Johnson repeatedly ruled out ever landing the prized political role before he was elected.
The now PM insisted he had a greater chance of being “reincarnated as an olive”, “decapitated by a flying frisbee” or “locked in a disused fridge” than leading the nation.
But in June last year he launched his successful bid to succeed Theresa May as Tory leader and was named Prime Minister.
