Race for UK PM gathers pace

GBNEWS24DESK//

Former prime minister Boris Johnson returned to Britain yesterday from a Caribbean holiday aiming to launch an audacious political comeback, as Conservative rival Rishi Sunak reached the minimum threshold to contest the UK’s top job.

Johnson cut short a luxury stay in the Dominican Republic to join the seemingly three-person race to replace outgoing leader Liz Truss, with allies telling British media he was “up for it”.

The divisive 58-year-old Brexit architect only relinquished power in early September, two months after announcing his resignation following a Tory revolt over a slew of scandals.

His apparent bid to return to office just weeks later has already been decried by opposition politicians, and even some in his own fractured ruling party who are demanding stability and unity.

“It is simply not right to risk repeating the chaos (and) confusion of the last year,” said David Frost, a right-wing formerly loyal minister appointed to the House of Lords by Johnson.

“We must move on,” he urged the Tories, adding they “must get behind a capable leader who can deliver a Conservative programme” who he identified as ex-finance minister Sunak.

Late Friday, Sunak’s allies in parliament revealed he had garnered the nominations of 100 Conservative MPs, the threshold set by the party to stand.

Trade department minister James Duddridge yesterday said Johnson had secured 100 nominations, although a Reuters tally put him on about 40.

However, both Sunak and Johnson are yet to announce they are running, with reports that a declaration by the former was imminent.

Cabinet member Penny Mordaunt, who just missed out on making the final runoff after Johnson quit, was the first to formally unveil her candidacy, on Friday.

The 49-year-old said she was running for “a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest” but is already trailing her rivals by dozens of nominations.

The Tories were forced into a second, this time expedited, leadership contest since the summer after Truss dramatically announced Thursday she would stand down — just 44 tempestuous days into her tenure.