LONDON — Boris Johnson ruled himself out on Sunday running for Conservative Party leadership, despite claiming he had the support to do so, ending a short-lived bid to return to the premiership. British minister, he was ousted just over three months ago.
His withdrawal leaves former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak the clear favorite to be Britain’s next prime minister. He could win the contest on Monday.
In making his announcement, Johnson said: ‘I think I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a nominator and a linebacker, and I could put in my nomination tomorrow.
‘There’s a very good chance that I’ll be successful in the election with members of the Conservative Party – and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday,’ he said.
Johnson added: “But over the past few days I have unfortunately come to the conclusion that it just wouldn’t be the right thing to do. You cannot govern effectively if you do not have a united party in parliament.
Johnson said that due to the failure to reach an agreement with Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt, “I fear the best thing is not to allow my appointment to go forward and ‘pledge my support to those who succeed’.
“I believe I have a lot to offer but I’m afraid it’s just not the right time,” the former prime minister said.
Just under four months after an unprecedented cabinet rebellion ended his scandalous reign and he announced his resignation in a speech outside 10 Downing Street, speculation swirled that Johnson would try again to win the leadership of his ruling Conservative party and become the UK’s new leader by default.
“No politician in post-war political history has ever lost leadership of his party at the same time he lost the premiership and came back to win both,” Tim told NBC News on Sunday. Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London. E-mail.
The party was forced to seek a new leader after Johnson’s successor, Liz Trussresigned on Thursday following a disastrous and quickly overturned economic plan that sent the diving book and his government in chaos. She served only six weeks in the office.
Several lawmakers had called for Johnson’s return, including some of his former cabinet colleagues, including Ben Wallace, the country’s defense minister, and former home secretary Suella Braverman.
As former defense minister Penny Mourdant announced her candidacy last week, Johnson’s toughest competition would likely come from the former finance minister Rishi Sunakwho declared his intention to run on Sunday.
Both lost to Truss in the last election, but Sunak has apparently won support from right-wing figures in the party this time around.
“I want to fix our economy, unite our party and deliver for our country,” Sunak, who would become India’s first British prime minister if chosen, said in a statement. His family emigrated to Britain in the 1960s, a time when many people from former British colonies arrived to help rebuild the country after the The Second World War.
Among those who expressed support for Sunak was Steve Baker, an influential lawmaker on the party’s right and one of Johnson’s former backers, who is now calling on him to step down.
“Now is not the time for Boris’ style,” Baker told Sky News on Sunday, adding that Johnson still faces an investigation into whether he misled parliament. Downing Street parties during Covid-19 lockdowns.
He could be forced to resign or be suspended from his job if found guilty, which Baker said would be “a guaranteed disaster”.
Others pointed out that Johnson’s three years as prime minister were plagued by scandals and that he was eventually forced to resign after more than 50 members of his government, including Sunak, resigned.
They resigned amid allegations that Johnson was unclear about a lawmaker who was appointed to a senior post despite allegations of sexual misconduct.
Former Conservative Party leader William Hague said Friday that Johnson’s return would lead to a “death spiral” for the party.
Whoever wins will need to secure nominations from 100 of the 357 Conservative lawmakers by Monday, meaning a maximum field of three.
If two candidates gain that level of support, they will move on to a party membership vote, with the winner announced on Friday.
For those who support Johnson, including Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, he is a vote winner, able to woo across the country with his celebrity image and brand of energetic optimism. His supporters say he can get the 100 MPs required to get elected.
But for Anand Menon, professor of politics and foreign affairs at Kings College London: “There is a tendency, particularly among his supporters, but also in part of the media, to exaggerate the electoral appeal of Boris Johnson.
“A significant majority of the British people wanted him to step down as prime minister, and his approval ratings were historically low when he ceased to be prime minister,” he said.
“So this idea that Boris is particularly popular, I don’t think is necessarily true,” he added.
Bale was more outspoken and less generous about Johnson’s prospects in his views.
“Boris Johnson’s return would seem to most Brits like another sick joke played on the country by the Conservative Party over the past few months – and not one that many of them wouldn’t find the slightest bit funny,” he said. he declared.