Boris Johnson refuses to rule out 10 years in power – beating Thatcher’s record

The Prime Minister was said to be eying a decade in power, which would exceed Margaret Thatcher’s 11 years in Downing Street

Boris Johnson has heightened speculation that he plans to stay in office for 10 years by refusing to categorically rule it out.

The Prime Minister batted away questions on his future ambitions prompted by claims he wants to last longer in Downing Street than Margaret Thatcher.

Under press fire on his flight to the United States, he simply said that he wanted to “get on with delivering the people’s priorities”.

He added: “Our eyes are focused on the task ahead and anybody who thinks that they can predict what will happen further down the track is really, you know…”

But in an interview published last week he outlined his vision for a decade in power with the aim of tackling decades of inequalities across the country.

Describing his so far ill-defined ‘levelling-up plans’, he said: “It’s going to take a while, it’s going to take ten years”.

Cabinet colleagues have also claimed that the deeply competitive Mr Johnson plans to “go on and on” in the job he has coveted since he was a child.

As London mayor he repeatedly dodged questions over his ambitions to become PM by claiming he was “more likely to be reincarnated as an olive”.

On the plane to New York, Mr Johnson also declined to comment on claims he was planning to hold the next election in 2023 – a year early.

“We are focused absolutely resolutely and implacably on the task in hand,” he insisted despite reports that he told Cabinet ministers they were midway through the term.

The PM played down reports that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and her predecessor Dominic Raab were battling out over who got access to the grace-and-favour Chevening estate.

“The people’s Government does not bother with fripperies and foibles of this kind.,” he said.

“These types of questions, we will address in due course. But as I say, we are focused on people’s priorities.”

Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie regularly spend long stretches of time at the PM’s official country estate Chequers.