Wycombe MP Steve Baker says he is "seriously considering" running to be Prime Minister. 

Speaking on BBC News this morning, the former junior Brexit minister said his colleagues had spent the last 24 hours "in despair" amid a "circus" surrounding the Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 

He added that he was seriously considering running to replace Mr Johnson. 

He said: "In the last seven of the 12 years I’ve been in Parliament I have provided leadership through really massive crises, whether that’s been Brexit, or Covid, race relations, Net Zero and now I’m seriously considering whether I should do it.

"I got into politics because I thought I wanted an MP I always agreed with, well maybe I’d like a Prime Minister who can be counted on to do what I thought best.

"I know what I’m looking for – fierce resolve, humility, integrity, a willingness to do what is actually right for the long and short term of this country, so of course I'm seriously considering standing for this country.

"ConservativeHome members consistently put me in their top 10, so I should respect them and take that seriously.

"I’m involved with a team around me and we will see how things evolve."

He said "we have tortured the public with high drama politics" over the past seven years and now is the time for stability. 

He said dealing with the cost of living crisis, the economy, and energy policy are the most important issues and said it is important the people of this country are "evermore prosperous, happy and free".

He also said taxes must be lowered "from this historic high". 

Speaking about Mr Johnson, Mr Baker said he was "filled with sorrow" at the situation. 

Back in 2016, Mr Baker backed Mr Johnson to be Prime Minister, saying he had "the character, charisma and the commitment to see through a good quality [Brexit] deal". 

Speaking on BBC News this morning, he said: "I wanted Boris to be a roaring success. It fills me with sorrow that it has come to this, but it’s the right decision.

"I have never seen colleagues in a deeper sense of despair than over the past 24 hours. We have got to bring ourselves together, we are collectively the leaders of our country whether people like that or not.

"The last 24 hours became a circus – you can’t govern when you have ministers resigning in an avalanche. We need to become stable.

"I respect the people of this country. We need to get on and deliver."