Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived at London’s Gatwick Airport on Saturday, after taking a flight from the Caribbean following Liz Truss’ resignation as prime minister.
Gareth Fuller / PA via AP
hide captions
switch captions
Gareth Fuller / PA via AP
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived at London’s Gatwick Airport on Saturday, after taking a flight from the Caribbean following Liz Truss’ resignation as prime minister.
Gareth Fuller / PA via AP
LONDON – Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that he would not run to lead the Conservative Party, ending a popular, short-term attempt to return prime minister’s job he was ousted more than three months ago.
His withdrawal makes former Treasurer Rishi Sunak the next UK prime minister – for the third time this year – at a time of political uncertainty and severe economic challenge. He could win the contest as early as Monday.
Johnson, who was ousted in July due to an ethics scandal, has been widely tipped to run to replace Liz Truss, who quit last week after her tax-cut economic package caused turmoil mixed in the financial markets, was quickly relinquished and removed from her authority in the government. party.
Johnson spent the weekend trying to win support from Conservative lawmakers after flying back from a holiday in the Caribbean and holding talks with two other candidates, Sunak and Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt. .
At the end of Sunday, he said he had accumulated the support of 102 colleagues, more than the threshold of 100 needed to carry out a vote by lawmakers on Monday.
But he trails Sunak in support, and says he has concluded that “you can’t manage effectively unless you have a unified party in Congress.”
Conservative Party leadership candidate Rishi Sunak leaves his campaign office in London on Sunday. Sunak is the leader in the Conservative Party race to replace Liz Truss as prime minister.
Alberto Pezzali / AP
hide captions
switch captions
Alberto Pezzali / AP
Conservative Party leadership candidate Rishi Sunak leaves his campaign office in London on Sunday. Sunak is the leader in the Conservative Party race to replace Liz Truss as prime minister.
Alberto Pezzali / AP
The prospect of Johnson’s return pushed the already divided Conservative Party into further turmoil. He led the party to victory in the 2019 election, but his position as prime minister was clouded by money and ethics scandals that eventually became too much for the party to bear.
In his statement on Sunday, Johnson insisted he was “well qualified to deliver a Conservative victory” in the next national election, due in 2024. And he said that he will likely win a Conservative Party vote against one of his opponents.
“But in my final days, I sadly came to the conclusion that this was simply not the right thing to do,” he said. “So I fear for the best that I don’t allow my nomination to continue and am committed to supporting anyone who succeeds.”
But he hinted that he might be back, saying: “I believe I have a lot to offer but I fear that this is simply not the right time.”
After Truss resigned on Thursday, the Conservative Party hastily ordered a competition aims to finalize nominations on Monday and appoint a new prime minister – the third this year – within a week.
The clear favorite right now is Sunak, who has the support of more than 140 lawmakers, according to unofficial documents. Mordaunt is supported by less than 30.
If both vote, 357 Conservative lawmakers will hold a nomination vote on Monday to show their preference before the choice comes to 172,000 party members across the country. If Mordaunt does not reach 100 nominations, Sunak will win by acclamation.
Sunak, 42, finished second behind Truss in this summer’s race for the Tory leadership to replace Johnson. On Sunday, he confirmed that he would run for re-election in the latest leadership contest.
“There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of government I lead, and I will work day in and day out to get the job done,” Sunak said in a statement.
Johnson’s withdrawal came just hours after allies confirmed he would run. Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg told the BBC on Sunday that he had spoken to Johnson and that it was “clear that he would stand his ground” after flying back to London on Saturday from a holiday in the Dominican Republic.
However, Northern Ireland Secretary Steve Baker, a former Johnson backer and influential politician in the Conservative Party, warned Johnson’s return would be a “guaranteed disaster”. Baker noted that Johnson still faces an investigation into whether he lied to Congress while in office about violating his government’s coronavirus restrictions during Downing Street parties. are not.
If found guilty, Johnson could be suspended as a lawmaker.
“This is not the time for Boris and his style,” Baker told Sky News on Sunday. “What we can’t do is let him be prime minister in cases where he absolutely has to destroy, bring down entire governments … and we can’t do that again.”
Truss is off Thursday after 45 turbulent days, admitting she can’t deliver on hand economic package to cut taxeswhich she was forced to give up after it sparked fury within her party and weeks of turmoil in financial markets.
Sunak, who serves as Treasurer from 2020 until this summer, has boosted Britain’s faltering economy through the coronavirus pandemic. He quit his job in July to protest Johnson’s leadership.
During the summer campaign to replace Johnson, Sunak called promises by Truss and other opponents to immediately cut taxes a “fairytale” and argued that soaring inflation must first be brought under control.
Tory voters favored Truss over Sunak, but he was proven right when Truss’s unreimbursed tax cut caused market turmoil in September. Now it’s up to the task of stabilizing the platform. Britain’s faltering economy could fall into his hands.
