DAVID Mundell has indicated he will vote for anyone but Boris Johnson in the ongoing Tory leadership race.
The Scottish Secretary said he did not support Mr Johnson in the first ballot and would not support him “in any future part of this process”.
It came as he denied ever saying he would not serve in Mr Johnson’s Cabinet if the former foreign secretary became Prime Minister, despite previously telling the BBC: "I don’t see myself being able to serve in that way.”
READ MORE: Boris Johnson tops Conservative leadership poll with Esther McVey and others eliminated
Mr Mundell said he voted for UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who he described as “a dynamic young man – a man for the future” and a “committed unionist” with a credible plan for Brexit.
Mr Johnson won more than a third of Tory MPs’ votes in the first leadership ballot to succeed Theresa May – scooping 114 votes out of a total of 313.
Speaking as developers formally handed over the keys to a new flagship UK Government hub in Edinburgh, Mr Mundell said: “We’re a long way from the conclusion of this race.
"Obviously Mr Johnson is the front runner. I didn’t support him in today’s ballot and I won’t be supporting him in any future part of this process.
“But I think it would be complacent to assume that he is just going to win the exercise.
“I think it’s very important as we go through the television debates next week, as we go through the interaction with members, that all candidates are held to account, their positions challenged, and they make robust defences and set out further details of their policies.
“But one thing I’m sure about, although on a number of matters clearly I don’t agree with Mr Johnson – he is a very staunch unionist, and he is committed to keeping our United Kingdom together.”
The Scottish Secretary refused to be drawn on Mr Johnson’s past comments attacking the funding system used to calculate public spending in Scotland.
He said: “There’s no suggestion that he’s coming into the race with a view to changing the Barnett formula or changing any of the arrangements that currently exist in relation to the devolved settlement.
“I take at face value his commitment to the union and it’s one thing if he is successfully on which I will most certainly be holding him to account.”
He later added: “I’m not ‘anybody but Boris’ in the sense of seeking to stop Mr Johnson in that sense, it’s just I have been clear in the past that I wouldn’t support him in a leadership election.
“I’ve met him face to face – we’ve had a very cordial discussion. I think it’s very important to have lines of communication.”
Mr Mundell also denied previously saying he would not serve in Mr Johnson’s Cabinet, and insisted he would “respect the result of the election whoever is successful”.
However, he said he disagreed with Mr Johnson’s willingness to leave the EU without a deal if an agreement is not reached by the October 31 deadline.
In December, Mr Mundell was asked by the BBC if he would remain in the Cabinet if Mr Johnson replaced Mrs May in Number 10.
He said: “Given my views about Mr Johnson which are well known that would be extremely difficult.
“Mr Johnson and I don’t agree on a whole range of issues and I don’t see myself being able to serve in that way.”
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