Rishi Sunak insists he 'definitely' doesn't want to be PM

Prime minister Boris Johnson (left) and chancellor Rishi Sunak leave 10 Downing Street London, ahead of a Cabinet meeting at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. - Credit: PA

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has insisted he does not want the top job in government, saying that he “struggles enough” in the current job.

In an interview with Lad Bible he denied he wanted to replace Boris Johnson.

“Definitely not. I have enough of a struggle just trying to do the job that I have and keep my head above water, quite frankly,” he explained.

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.”

But Johnson himself also dismissed suggestions he wanted to be prime minister.

Asked whether he wanted to replace Theresa May back in 2015 he said 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.

Four years later he launched his successful bid to replace May as Tory leader.