Boris Johnson returns to the UK and reinforces rumors of a candidacy to be prime minister again

Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson He returned to London this Saturday after his vacation, amid rumors of a candidacy to return to being head of government after the resignation of Liz Truss on Thursday.

Three names have emerged so far in the lightning campaign in the Conservative Party that will decide next week the country’s new prime minister: the current Minister for Relations with Parliament, Penny Mordaunt, who presented her candidacy on Friday; Rishi Sunak, a former finance minister who had lost to Truss in early September; and Boris Johnson, who resigned in July after a succession of scandals.

Whoever assumes the reins of the country faces a party weighed down by divisions, with the opposition at the top of the polls and a serious economic crisis, with chaos in the markets and inflation reaching its highest in decades.

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The fight between Johnson and Rishi Sunak dominated the front pages of the British press on Saturday. “Johnson and Sunak lead the race as hopes of unity evaporate”, ttitled The Independent. “Conservative Tribes Go to War” The Guardian wrote on his side.

The Sky News channel showed this Saturday a British Airways plane that landed around 10:15 (09:15 GMT) at Gatwick airport, and in which Johnson would be, back from his vacation.

Boris Johnson sounds strong to return to the position of British Prime Minister after the resignation of Liz Truss in the middle of this week (EFE/EPA/TOLGA AKMEN).

On Friday night, an ally of Boris Johnson in Parliament, James Duddridge, warned that the former prime minister would be a candidate again.. “He said: +Let’s do it, I’m ready+”, Johnson said according to this deputy who communicated with him by WhatsApp.

But Johnson, who left Parliament on July 20 saying “Hasta la vista, baby!”, has yet to officially announce his candidacy.

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Although he has not yet announced his intentions, Rishi Sunak, whose resignation from the Johnson government precipitated the fall of the latter, and who obtained the minimum support of 100 Conservative MPs on Friday to officially enter the race.

If he does run, and no one else gets these endorsements, Sunak would automatically become the new party leader and prime minister.

“Worst idea in 46 years”

Liz Truss resigned on Thursday after 44 days in office marked by the economic crisis triggered especially by her own decisions.

The candidates to replace her must present before 2:00 p.m. (1:00 p.m. GMT) on Monday the support of at least 100 of the 357 conservative parliamentarians, which limits the race to a maximum of three candidates.

These representatives will hold two ballots: the first will narrow the election down to two candidates and the second will serve as “indication” to the members of the party on the preferred option of the deputies.

Then, unless one of the two candidates withdraws, it will be the 170,000 members of the Conservative Party who will settle the issue in a telematic vote on October 28.

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The political portal Guido Fawkes, which closely follows the support of the deputies for each possible candidate, registered until Saturday morning 107 “votes” for Sunak, 71 for Johnson and 25 for Mordaunt.

Meanwhile, Sunak’s allies campaign, omnipresent in the media.

“I’m sure it will show up. He is the ideal candidate”former Justice Minister Dominic Raab told Sky News on Saturday. “If you look at the economic challenge that we have, he is the one who has always been right about what we need,” he claimed.

Former Conservative Party boss William Hague has warned that a return of Boris Johnson would lead to a “death spiral” for the party.

“It is probably the worst idea I have heard in the 46 years that I have been a party member”Hague told Times Radio.

Source: Elcomercio