Boris Johnson pulls out, leaving Rishi Sunak as clear frontrunner

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LONDON — Boris Johnson abruptly dropped out of the race to return to British prime minister on Sunday after campaigning hard for a comeback, saying it was in the national interest to quit.

The dramatic development has made former finance minister Rishi Sunak, who has soared in the campaign, a staunch darling. He will be the first leader of colour and the first leader of Indian origin to preside over the British government.

Sunak had already abandoned Johnson’s government before it disintegrated in the summer. He was also prescient, saying the economic plan of Johnson’s successor, Liz Strath, was based on “fantasy” economics. The truss only lasted six weeks after the scheme wreaked havoc on the UK economy.

In a statement, Johnson said he had enough support to vote in Conservative MPs on Monday. That claim was not backed up by the BBC and the Guardian’s lawmakers’ statistics, which did not show Johnson reaching the 100-vote hurdle of the 357 Conservative members of the House of Commons.

“I believe I have a lot to offer, but I’m afraid now is simply not the right time,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he had contacted his rival Sunak and Conservative leader Penny Mordout in the House of Commons to reach some sort of deal – Johnson did not say what kind – “because I hope we can National interest – unfortunately, we cannot find a solution.”

He seemed to blame them for his withdrawal.

Johnson said: “I have a good chance of winning the election for a member of the Conservative Party – and I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.”

“But over the course of the last few days, I have regrettably concluded that this is simply not the right thing to do. You cannot govern effectively unless you have a unified party in parliament.”

Mordaunt is still in the race, but is still far behind, with just 25 declared supporters. She will hope to gain support from undisclosed voters and Johnson’s supporters, some of whom have already said they will back Sunak.

Reacting to news of Johnson’s exit, Sunak tweeted: “I really hope he continues to contribute to public life at home and abroad.”

In what could be read as a plea to Johnson’s supporters, he said: “Boris Johnson delivered Brexit and a massive vaccine rollout. He has led our country through what we have faced. Some of the toughest challenges, and then against Putin and his brutal war in Ukraine. For that, we will be forever grateful to him.”

The problem for former leader Johnson, who was ousted in July, is that many of his Conservative MPs, along with so-called Tory mogul and once-friendly tabloid hackers, believe his return to power will be a “disaster”. “

Even some of Johnson’s once closest allies are wary. “Go back to the beach,” said David Davis, his former Brexit partner.

“Part of Boris Johnson’s bizarre political genius, he should be considered for a repeat,” wrote his old boss and Telegraph columnist Charles Moore, who warned that “true Boris fans” Will have the courage to tell him to take this out.”

If Johnson returns to power, it will be a wounded prime minister.

Johnson has too much baggage to start over.

The film, which has been seen, ends when Johnson was forced to resign in July after more than 50 ministers and aides resigned amid the scandal, saying he was unfit to lead.

The sequel – or “Johnson 2.0” as the British press called it – won’t escape the plot points of the original.

For one, he still faces a dangerous parliamentary inquiry into whether he lied to lawmakers at a Covid-10 lockdown party at 10 Downing Street. It’s a serious charge – one that could get him condemned or worse – and could be in the headlines for months, a constant reminder of his removal as party leader and prime minister in July.

Boris Johnson blames ‘bulls’, resigns to make way for new UK leader

Liz Truss resigned as prime minister in October. 20 After six weeks of chaos in the office. As Conservative MPs prepare to vote Monday on who will run their party and who will run the UK, Johnson and his arch-rival, former finance minister Sunak’s surrogate, took to the morning talk show, gossipy threats At Sminster there was a quarrel. WhatsApp groups and rounds of calls and twisting arms.

Those members — older, wealthy, 97 percent white — tend to veer to the party’s right wing, with polls showing many of them supporting Johnson over Sunak. But that may have changed.

Once their hero, many say Johnson has let his members down. They may have missed him – pollsters thought it was “Boris nostalgia” – but do they want to see the next episode?

Rishi Sunak officially runs for UK Prime Minister

Boris Johnson could run again. He is still under investigation.

Johnson used to be very popular. Today, even within his own party, he is deeply divided. Outside the party? Polls show the public can’t stand him. His popularity plummeted.

Former Conservative leader William Hague said Johnson’s return to power was “the worst idea I’ve heard in the Conservative Party’s 46 years” and would send the party into a “death spiral”.

Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, an influential figure on the party’s right wing, said Johnson would be a “doomed disaster” that was “doomed to collapse”.

Mr Baker said Johnson was not one for “boring rules” and it was “not the time for Boris and his style”.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, also on the party’s right wing, came out on Sunak’s behalf. She wrote in The Telegraph that while she had backed Johnson before, “we are in a bind now. We need unity, stability and efficiency. Rishi is the only candidate who fits the bill.”

In supporting Sunak, lawmakers use words and phrases like “stability” and “capacity” as the right person to meet future economic challenges.

Those who supported Johnson said “he made the right big decision”, “he learned from his mistakes” and was “remorseful”.

Nadhim Zahawi, a former senior minister in Johnson’s government, tweeted: “A day is a long time in politics…” Indeed. Earlier in the day, he wrote that he supported Johnson, saying he “got the right decision” and “the UK needs him back”. But he quickly changed his tune after hearing his old boss quit the game and said it was time for the party to rally behind the “talented” Sunak.

Labour leader Keir Starmer has renewed his call for a general election. “This country needs to get out of this mess,” he told the BBC.

Most Britons say they want a general election, although it won’t be called until January 2025. Early elections could be held, but would require the support of Tory MPs, which seems unlikely given that the Conservatives face near-annihilation. Elections were held today. A petition calling for a general election to “end chaos in the current government” quickly garnered more than 850,000 signatures.

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