United Kingdom: Boris Johnson renounces to run for the post of Prime Minister
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday October 23 that he would give up running for the Downing Street campaign, strengthening the chances of big favorite Rishi Sunak to succeed Liz Truss, barring a new twist.
REUTERS - HENRY NICHOLLS
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that he would give up running for the Downing Street campaign, strengthening the chances of big favorite Rishi Sunak to succeed Liz Truss, barring a new twist.
Advertising
Read more
He had cut short his vacation in the Dominican Republic to return urgently to the United Kingdom after
the resignation of Liz Truss
.
But this Sunday evening, Boris Johnson finally gave up running for the post of Prime Minister which he held
until his departure in July
.
"
Over the past few days, I've 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
,” Boris Johnson said in a statement, hours before nominations closed.
The former mayor of London mustered the 100 Conservative MP endorsements needed to join the race in Downing Street, but he ultimately threw in the towel and promised to support whoever wins.
Under parliamentary investigation
The choice should be between Penny Mordaunt, Minister for Relations with Parliament who has not yet collected the 100 sponsorships, and Rishi Sunak, whose resignation this summer from the post of Minister of Finance had sounded the end of the adventure of Boris Johnson at the head of the United Kingdom.
Earlier on Sunday,
custodian of budget orthodoxy and workaholic Rishi Sunak
officially nominated himself to succeed Liz Truss, who had been in the job for just 44 days and who had beaten him this summer.
While Boris Johnson's ratings remain high in the Tory camp for successfully pushing through Brexit, he remains under a parliamentary inquiry into whether he lied to parliament about illegal
Downing
parties. Street during the anti-Covid containment.
The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis.
That's why I am standing to be Leader of the Conservative Party and your next Prime Minister.
I want to fix our economy, unite our Party and deliver for our country.
pic.twitter.com/BppG9CytAK
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) October 23, 2022
If Penny Mordaunt does not stand down and reach 100 endorsements, Tory MPs will vote on Monday, October 24, indicatively, to tell the party base who their favorite is.
Members will then be able to vote online until October 28.
The indicative vote of the deputies did not exist this summer, when the approximately 140,000 voters of the party had elected Liz Truss, while the deputies preferred Rishi Sunak to him.
►
To read also:
United Kingdom: why Rishi Sunak can become the new Prime Minister
(
With
AFP)
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
UK
Boris Johnson
Liz Truss