HEREFORD and South Herefordshire MP Jesse Norman is backing 'old friend' Boris Johnson to be the next Prime Minister.

Mr Norman joins fellow Herefordshire MP Bill Wiggin in pledging his support for the former foreign secretary to take over from Theresa May as Conservative Party leader when members of the Tory members vote in the coming weeks.

He said: "Both the leadership candidates are exceptional, but I am supporting Boris Johnson. I worked on his London Mayoral campaign in 2008, supported his re-election in 2012 and worked on his Conservative leadership bid in 2016.

"He is a person of huge talent, and an old friend. Boris is different in many ways from the public caricatures. He has the capacity to re-energise the government, resolve the deadlock over Brexit, and above all keep this country away from the very dangerous policies of the Labour party.

"Those are goals we can unite behind."

Mr Johnson is facing fresh calls from leadership rival Jeremy Hunt to take part in TV debates ahead of voting getting underway.