Potential candidates to replace Prime Minister Liz Truss, who resigned on Thursday after just six weeks in office, began a frantic weekend of pushing to secure enough nominations to enter the leadership contest before Monday’s deadline. Johnson, who was on vacation in the Caribbean when Truss resigned, has not publicly commented on an offer for his old job. It has received the support of dozens of Conservative MPs, but needs to secure 100 nominations to be considered. James Dandridge, the international trade secretary, said on Friday that Johnson had told him he was “ready”. He said on Saturday that Johnson had secured 100 nominations, although a Reuters tally put him at around 40, while the tally showed former finance minister Rishi Sunak – currently the betting favorite – had topped 100. The Sunday Times reported that Sunak and Johnson could meet late on Saturday, without giving details of the planned discussions. Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is pictured outside his home in London on Saturday. He is the first candidate to reach the 100-nomination threshold to enter the leadership contest to replace Truss. (Beresford Hodge/PA/The Associated Press) Only former defense secretary Penny Mordant has officially declared she will run, although a Reuters tally showed she had so far only 22 nominations ahead of Monday’s 13:00 GMT deadline. The next prime minister – a position that will have changed hands three times in four years – faces a huge inbox after Truss’ economic plans hit bond markets, raised the government’s borrowing costs and added more pressure to households and businesses already struggling with cost of living crisis.
Political resurrection?
Johnson was booed by some passengers on the plane to Britain, according to a Sky News reporter on the flight, which arrived in London on Saturday morning. Wearing a dark jacket and backpack, Johnson waved to photographers at London’s Gatwick Airport before leaving. It would be a stunning return for the former journalist and London mayor, who left Downing Street engulfed in scandal and saying party colleagues “changed the rules halfway through” to prevent him serving a full term. In a boost to Sunak, another potential candidate, Trade Minister Kemi Badenoch, who entered a leadership race earlier this year, endorsed the former finance minister, ruling herself out of another bid for the top job. position. Johnson meets Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas at 10 Downing Street, London, in June. Johnson announced his intention to step down as prime minister in July and formally resigned in September amid the scandal. (Alberto Pezzali/The Associated Press) The prospect of another Johnson premiership is a polarizing issue for many in the Conservative Party, which is deeply divided after the removal of four prime ministers in six years. For some conservative lawmakers, Johnson is a vote-getter, able to appeal across the country with his celebrity image and energetic optimism. For others, he is a toxic figure who would struggle to unify the party and thus could undermine efforts to build a stable leadership to calm jittery financial markets.
“Death Spiral”
Former home secretary Priti Patel said her old boss had “a mandate to deliver our elected manifesto and a proven track record of getting the big decisions right”. Andrew Bridgen, another Tory MP, said he may quit the caucus if Johnson returns and told Tories not to create a “cult of personality” of Johnson. Former Tory leader William Hague said Johnson’s return would lead to a “death spiral” for the Tories. If Johnson manages to secure enough nominations, he is likely to face Sunak, who resigned as chancellor in July, claiming his former boss was unable to make tough decisions. Johnson is under investigation by parliament’s privileges committee to see if he lied to the House of Commons about parties breaking the lockdown. Ministers found to have knowingly misled Parliament are expected to resign. The contest to become Britain’s next prime minister has been accelerated to last just one week. Under the rules, only three candidates will be able to make it to MPs’ first ballot on Monday afternoon, with the final two going to a vote on Friday limited to around 170,000 registered Conservative Party members.
