David Cameron refuses to endorse Boris Johnson as next prime minister

The public rift between the two Tories has deepend

David Cameron has refused to back Boris Johnson as the next prime minister, potentially deepening the public rift between the two Conservative politicians.

During a televised debate on whether Britain should remain in the European Union the Prime Minister said the former Mayor of London, who is believed to want the top job, was a “a very talented politician”.

But he stopped short of giving him Mr Johnson his endorsement when pressed.

The former mayor of London took the opposite side in the referendum campaign to the PM, with sparks flying between the two over a number of issues.

Last week Mr Johnson accused Mr Cameron of making a "cynical" plege on immigration; Mr Cameron has previously suggested that his rival had only backed the Leave campaign to further his career.

In a possible hint that Mr Cameron has no plans to leave office before the 2020 election, the PM said it would be for the British public to pick the next Prime Minister.

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Were Mr Cameron to step down the next PM would likely be chosen by the Conservative party when it elected its leader.

“I think Boris is a very talented politician – he was a great Mayor of London and I’ve always said he’s got a huge amount to give to public service and public life," he told the Sky News debate.

“I don’t get to pick the next Prime Minister – that will be a decision made by the party and by the country when the country votes. I’m not going to put the black spot on anyone by saying who should and shouldn’t do the job.

Mr Johnson is the favourite to suceed Mr Cameron amongst members, accorfing to repeated surveys of Tory members conducted by the website ConservativeHome.

Mr Cameron has said he will step down before the 2020 general election but has not given any more specific details about what that means.

There have been anonymous public calls from some disgruntled Tory MPs for him to set a date of departure or face a vote of no confidence in light of his conduct during the bitterly fought referendum campaign.