Boris Johnson: Plot for me to challenge David Cameron is just cloud cuckoo land

Boris Johnson today dismissed claims that he is plotting a return to Parliament to challenge David Cameron’s leadership as “complete cloud cuckoo land”.

Mr Johnson was forced to respond after reports that Tory rebel Zac Goldsmith has offered his west London seat to the Mayor if the Government goes ahead with a third runway at Heathrow. Mr Johnson today said he will “absolutely not” be returning to Parliament — but allies said he is still not ruling it out after his second term as London Mayor finishes in 2016.

Mr Goldsmith met Mr Johnson in City Hall last week following the Cabinet reshuffle in which Mr Cameron paved the way for Heathrow expansion by sacking Justine Greening.

Evening Standard has been told that Mr Goldsmith raised the issue of a by-election in his Richmond constituency by asking Mr Johnson if he had heard the “rumours and Westminster tittle-tattle” about the issue.

City Hall sources confirmed that they discussed a by-election “jokingly” but that they “dismissed it out of hand”.

“This is all complete cloud cuckoo land,” Mr Johnson told LBC radio today. “Of course I’ve had conversations with Zac and with other MPs in London and elsewhere about how to solve the aviation problem. I’m absolutely not going to be returning to Parliament, I’ve got to do a job here in London and that’s what I want to do and it’s a massive, engrossing job.”

Asked by BBC radio about his plans after his second term at City Hall, the Mayor said: “I really think I’ll be over the hill, I’ll be clapped out.” A backbencher said a plot to oust Mr Cameron could spring into life before the election if a heavyweight MP like David Davis was prepared to stand.

“The amount of unhappiness among colleagues is extraordinary,” he said. “If we do badly in the Corby by-election and fail to rise in the polls, then something could happen this year.”

One cabal of plotters against Mr Cameron is said to meet monthly in the office of a former senior minister. The MPs are said to be preparing to move from “contingency to challenge”, which would mean actively trying to force Mr Cameron out.