Boris Johnson touted as potential new NATO boss

London, July 27

Outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is being touted as a potential new boss of Nato after quitting No10 - amid warnings from Tories that he needs to stop encouraging a 'Trumpish fantasy' about staying in power, media reports said. Allies of the Prime Minister have suggested he could replace Jens Stoltenberg as Secretary General of the military alliance when, as expected, the Norwegian steps down in September next year, Daily Mail reported.

The lure of the high-profile post might be attractive to the PM, but he would need to quit as an MP to take it.

It comes as other supporters continue a grassroots campaign to allow him a chance to stay in No 10, Daily Mail reported.

Some 10,000 people claiming to be Tory members are backing a petition calling for him to be allowed to enter the current leadership election.

No 10 has insisted that he intends to leave office in September but Lord Cruddas, the Tory donor behind the campaign, has said the PM is having second thoughts.

Johnson has personally yet to publicly comment on the claim, first made in the Telegraph UK.

However his former ally Steve Baker said he must quell any desire to reverse his departure.

It came as a new poll showed 70 per cent of all voters think he was right to quit - though Tory voters are evenly split, Daily Mail reported.

A second senior MP, Sir Charles Walker, has also suggested party members be stripped of their power to decide who becomes the next PM.

--IANS