After a short effort to retake the position he was expelled from less than three months ago, the former British prime minister Boris Johnson declared on Sunday that he will not compete to lead the Conservative Party.
Former Treasury Chief Rishi Sunak is now the clear frontrunner to become the next prime minister of Britain as a result of his resignation. He may take first place as early as Monday.
Boris Johnson Says It's Not The Right Time For Comeback
Liz Truss resigned last week after her tax-cutting economic plan caused turbulence in the financial markets and destroyed her influence within the ruling party. Johnson, who was driven out of office in July over ethical problems, was widely anticipated to seek to succeed Truss.
Johnson returned from his Caribbean vacation via plane and spent the weekend attempting to win over his fellow senators. He said late Sunday that he had gathered more than 100 names-the necessary number to run, USA Today reported.
Johnson claimed he had come to the conclusion that "you can't lead successfully until you have a cohesive party in Parliament" despite being well behind Sunak in support.
In order to get the upper hand over his two primary challengers, Johnson and former Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt, Sunak won the public backing of well over 100 Tory legislators. A contest was hurriedly arranged by the Conservative Party with the goal of naming a new prime minister - its third this year - within a week.
In the battle for the Tory leadership to succeed Johnson this summer, Sunak, 42, came in second place behind Truss. He announced his re-entry into the most recent leadership race on Sunday.
According to NBC News, Johnson stated, "I am afraid the best thing is that I do not let my nomination to go forward and offer my support to whoever succeeds," due to the inability to strike an agreement with Sunak and another candidate, Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons.
"I think I have a lot to contribute, but I'm afraid this just isn't the right time," he added. Johnson's return was demanded by a number of politicians, including several of his former Cabinet members, notably the defense minister Ben Wallace and the former home secretary Suella Braverman.
Rishi Sunak Gains Ground in UK Prime Minister Race
The former defense minister Mordaunt confirmed her candidacy last week, but Sunak, who announced his campaign on Sunday, would have been Johnson's toughest rival. Both were defeated by Truss in the previous election, but Sunak appears to have earned the backing of key people on the party's right flank this time around.
In a statement, Sunak, who if chosen, would become the first prime minister of Indian descent, said, "I want to improve our economy, unify our party, and deliver for our country." In the 1960s, when many immigrants from Britain's former colonies arrived to aid in the nation's post-World War II reconstruction, his family immigrated to Britain.
Per Daily Mail, 228 of the 357 Tory MPs have made their support clear as of this evening. According to reports,. Sunak has 147 backers, compared to Mordaunt's 24. Johnson said he had reached more than 100 but had just 57 when he pulled out.
Johnson and Sunak met last night at 8 o'clock, and Johnson is reported to have assured his former Chancellor that if he returned to No. 10 with Sunak in a key position, it would prevent a contentious conflict. However, it was later said this morning that no agreement had been reached between the two parties after the about three-hour-long discussions.
Only Mordaunt is now blocking Sunak's ambition for the leadership. The Leader of the House of Commons earlier said, "I'm in this to win it." However, despite Johnson's absence, her resolute remark comes amid indications that she is finding it difficult to gain supporters.
Related Article: Boris Johnson Leads Race To Replace Liz Truss as Prime Minister
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