CARLISLE’s Conservative MP John Stevenson has called on fellow Tories to get behind their new leader, regardless of whether they voted for him.

Having initially backed Michael Gove, he refused to confirm whether he went on to vote for either Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt in the final round.

But Mr Stevenson said the result of the vote speaks for itself.

“The majority was larger than I anticipated. I thought it might have been closer,” he said.

“He won the support of two-thirds of the membership and 50 per cent of MPs, which is emphatic. We have to get behind him.”

Asked whether he thought Mr Johnson would make a good Prime Minister, Mr Stevenson said: “We will have to wait and see. He has the potential to do so.

“I think all politicians divide opinion. Theresa May did and Jeremy Corbyn certainly does. Boris will be no different. What he has got to do is govern in the interests of the United Kingdom.

“His first challenge will be on Brexit. I hope he can extract a compromise with Europe.”

Mr Stevenson said he would prefer to avoid a no deal Brexit, but the European Union have to reopen negotiations to avoid that.

“I’d rather it (a no deal) wasn’t, but it may well come to being the only solution,” he said.

“I’ve always maintained that I would prefer a deal. That would be in the interests of Europe and ourselves, but it always takes two sides to negotiate. We’ve got to see what the EU are willing to do.

“They know the Irish backstop in unacceptable to Britain.”