Boris Johnson Will Not Return as Prime Minister

Photo Courtesy: Sky News

After Liz Truss’ resignation as Prime Minister, talks of former PM Boris Johnson returning in the bid to become the UK’s next PM were all abound in the news. Many were certain that Johnson would stand in the race ahead of the Conservative Party electing a new leader, and thus PM, on Friday, 28 October. 

However, on Sunday evening Johnson announced in a statement that he is dropping out of the leadership race. He said although he had the notable support from Tory MPs to run and “could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday”, he believes running in the election would simply not be the right thing to do” adding, “You can't govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.”

Despite Johnson saying that he had “cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and [...] could put my nomination in tomorrow”, only 57 Tory Members had publicly declared their support for him. 

Johnson also stated that he reached out to now frontrunner in the race to become PM and ex- Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak and contender MP Penny Mordaunt, hoping that they “come together in the national interest” but they “have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.”  

At this stage, Rishi Sunak, publicly backed by 146 Tory MPs is likely to replace Liz Truss, which would make him the first person of color to be Prime Minister of the UK. 

Nonetheless, Sunak’s competitor Penny Mordaunt, with the public support of 24 MPs, is still said to be attempting to win over Johnson’s backers after the former PM said he was “uniquely placed to avert a general election now".

So far 228 of 357 Tory MPs have gone public with their support. However, Rishi Sunak’s campaign has expressed to the BBC that, “We are not taking anything for granted" and that Sunak “will be continuing to talk to colleagues tomorrow morning before nomination papers go in, and discussing how best to unite the party and take the country forward." 

Meanwhile, Mordaunt has taken her campaign to Twitter, citing her interview with the Telegraph, where she promises to deliver a disciplined and honest government. 

For the moment, accounting the amount of Tory MPs who have publicly declared support, it seems that we may be seeing history in the making for the UK’s first non-white PM.