Former MP Stafford lifts the lid on serving under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss

The politician, who lost his seat in last year's general election, was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Boris Johnson three years ago and endorsed Liz Truss during the 2022 leadership election.

Stafford, who still lives in Rotherham and keeps an eye on local issues, was an MP for five years and is eager to return to Westminster one day.

He gave his views on his party's leadership to Jeremy Kyle on TalkTV, the channel owned by News UK, publisher of The Times and The Sun.

The one time party Vice Chairman said Johnson was: "A great man, funny, very warm, very caring, and what you see in public is what you see behind the scenes.

"He is exactly the same sort of person, there is no pretence, he is not putting it on in public… a bit scatter-brained but a good man."

There was some faint praise for Sunak, who he said was: "A very clever man, a very intelligent man, I don't think he had the best political nous… an honest man but fundamentally he couldn't turn the party or the country around."

Liz Trust only lasted 49 days in post, with Stafford accepting: "I voted for her – partly because I thought at the time she could turn the country around."

The markets and budget had turned out to be an "absolute failure" though.

With one eye, perhaps, on keeping in with the present Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, he disagreed with Kyle's assessment that: "She'd be gone in a year's time."

He said: "I think she could be the next PM."

Asked to confirm Badenoch had a temper and clashed with staff, he replied: "She is hardworking… she has a laser focus. I have never seen her b****ck anyone, frankly."

Stafford's views on immigration appeared to chime with the broadcaster, who said that Britain was giving France £500 million a year to halt small boats crossing the channel yet left entry points to the coast unguarded.

"We are paying them money for nothing," said the former MP.

"I am happy for the money to be paid if it is stopping the boats, but it's not."

He added that gang bosses had no respect for Britain and the law.

And that he had learned from his election campaigning on local doorsteps that the number one reason why the Tories were not re-elected was failure on immigration.

There will be "wrong 'uns" among the travellers, and yet there were occasions when the UK was treating migrants better than our own people.

"Tough times call for tough measures, we need to send a clear message and send people back."

Mr Stafford, who had favoured the plan to relocate illegal immigrants or asylum seekers to Rwanda, was happier to see Ukrainians displaced by the Russians rehomed here.

"The majority of Ukrainians were women and children… it was the right thing to do."

Conservative support had been weakened by the Reform UK party, Mr Stafford admitted, saying there may be the possibility of a tactical "deal" with Reform at local levels, particularly.