Former prime minister Tony Abbott reportedly tells Tories he can win back the top job

TONY Abbott has slammed ‘unprofessional’ reports that he was gunning to reclaim the prime ministership after speaking at the Tory party conference in Britain.

TONY Abbott has reportedly told right-wing allies in Britain he thinks he has a reasonable chance of regaining the top job.

A senior Liberal source close to Mr Abbott told Fairfax Media the former prime minister maintained a “good chance” of returning to the job because he is popular with the party membership compared to Malcolm Turnbull.

But Mr Abbott has launched an unprecedented attack on the reporter over Twitter, describing the report as “unsourced, unattributed and unprofessional” and accusing the journalist of “yet again making things up”.

As for unsourced, unattributed, unprofessional reports, the journalist in question is yet again making things up.

— Tony Abbott (@TonyAbbottMHR) October 4, 2016

The reporter, Fairfax Media Australia’s Latika Bourke, hit back, saying: “Abbott responds after refusing to deny earlier. And of course I absolutely stand by my story and sources.”

Abbott responds after refusing to deny earlier. And of course I absolutely stand by my story and sources. https://t.co/DNuQRY0Vl5

— Latika M Bourke (@latikambourke) October 4, 2016

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told reporters in Sydney: “I’m not going to be drawn on interesting gossip or even uninteresting gossip.”

It has also been reported Mr Abbott refused to answer when asked if he wanted the leadership back, during a sideline event at the Conservative Party Conference in the UK.

A week ago, Mr Abbott declared his leadership ambitions are “dead, buried and cremated”, as the Coalition’s popularity collapsed under crippling Newspoll results.

Labor has a two-party preferred lead of four percentage points over the Coalition whose primary vote has dipped below 40 per cent for the first time under Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership, the latest Newspoll shows.

That’s lower than where Mr Abbott was when he was dumped as leader a year ago, the poll for The Australian revealed.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he won’t be drawn on gossip that Tony Abbott is gunning for the top job. Picture: Chris Higgins

Former prime minister Tony Abbott has reportedly told the Tories he thinks he can win back the top job. Picture: AAP

CREDLIN: “I DON’T SEE MYSELF GOING BACK”

While Abbott might be keen to return to the highest office in the land, his former high-profile chief of staff Peta Credlin is not.

“No, no, no, no,” Credlin said when asked if she missed the role.

“I never set my cap on being Chief of Staff to the PM so I don’t have any regrets about leaving behind that pace and pressure. I don’t see myself going back.”

Over the past year, her public comments about Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s performance have been far from sugar-coated.

Credlin has been critical of his leadership, implying Turnbull and the government hadn’t achieved much and describing his advisers as a “hapless group of bedwetters”.

“I’m not reading the talking points from the Coalition — I’m speaking my mind,” Credlin said.

Abbott’s former chief of staff, Peta Credlin, says she wouldn’t follow Abbott if he returned to office. Picture: Sky

“I’ve had a lot of support from former Coalition colleagues about my media work. I think I’ve played a pretty straight bat.”

Credlin has been approached by the Liberal Party on numerous occasions to run for preselection, she said.

“I’ve resisted invitations to run for a seat because I’ve never really wanted to be in the public eye. I’ve always wanted to be a backroom player.”

With her increasingly public roles — including as co-anchor of a new prime time Sky News show — she might be inclined to change her mind.

“You never say never in politics,” Credlin said. “But that is about as never say never as you can get.”