The former chancellor, George Osborne, has hinted towards a political comeback speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Tuesday.
Covering Brexit, Osborne said that he opposed David Cameron’s decision to hold a referendum in 2016 and was “gloomy” about the outcome.
“I was always quite gloomy about the referendum and its outcome,” said Osborne, who is now the editor of London’s Evening Standard newspaper. “I went round the country and I kept hearing from people I would assume wanted to stay in the EU that they wanted to leave, so I was pretty pessimistic.”
“I certainly did not walk out of the government at the time. That is not the way I tried to behave as chancellor. I was not trying to be the difficult next door neighbour.
“I was trying to be the person who, with David Cameron, my friend, made things work for the country.”
Osborne used the interview to hint towards re-entering the political arena.
“I don’t rule out going back into politics, but it is certainly not plan A,” he said on Tuesday.
Theresa May sacked Osborne when she succeeded Cameron as Prime Minister.
Whilst he acknowledges a second referendum is not possible, the former chancellor hopes to campaign for a departure from the EU that will keep the UK close to its European partners.
“I will vigorously challenge how they want to interpret that result,” he said. “I don’t accept that just because we’re leaving the EU we have to, for example, leave the customs union or radically clamp down on immigration.”
Osborne is on the list of names who are likely to succeed Theresa May. Boris Johnson and David Davis are also high on the list. The Brexit secretary is currently at the centre of government, garnering much support among like-minded party members.