Rishi Sunak might be bookies’ favourite in the race to take over Liz Truss as Conservative Party leader and British Prime Minister, but the British Indian former chancellor may not reach the top post again as Boris Johnson is reportedly “urging” him to stand down and let him return to Downing Street.
Truss had replaced Johnson at 10 Downing Street merely 46 days ago after she defeated Sunak in the race for the Tory leadership. A former finance minister, Sunak was pulling narrowly ahead of Johnson among Conservative Party MP nominations on Thursday night to claim the leadership victory he missed last month.
Now, according to a report by British Newspaper Telegraph, Johnson is privately urging Conservative MPs to back him for a dramatic return to Downing Street with a “pledge that only he can win the Tories the next election”.
The former PM is reportedly “pressing” Sunak to reach out and “get back together” after their public falling out at the top of government more than three months ago.
Truss had quit on Thursday after just 45 days in the top office, accepting the near-total collapse of support among colleagues and admitting she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected by the Conservative Party.
Ending her humiliating tenure at 10 Downing Street, she became the shortest-serving prime minister in British history. Her six-week long term was even shorter than the period it took to elect her for the top job.
Sunak Leads Race To Become Next UK PM
As the runner-up of the leadership election which concluded last month, the former finance minister who had forecast much of the economic crisis unleashed by Truss’ mini-budget is seen as a safe pair of hands to take charge at 10 Downing Street.
The 42-year-old is holding a solid 55 per cent lead with the Oddschecker betting odds aggregator, followed by a 29 per cent chance of former prime minister Boris Johnson making a comeback.
The next placed in what is emerging as a three-way contest is Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt, who had polled third in the first round of parliamentary votes to shortlist candidates for the last leadership race.
How the UK PM is Elected
Under the rules set of this Tory leadership race, a candidate must have a minimum of 100 members of Parliament backing them to make the shortlist by the Monday 2 pm local time deadline.
A comeback for partygate-hit Johnson is increasingly looking likely with reports that he has the support of around 140 MPs. The former prime minister, who was holidaying in the Caribbean, is believed to be on a flight back to get his leadership campaign going quickly. “I’m backing Boris #BorisorBust,” tweeted UK Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg, one of the head cheerleaders from the Johnson camp.
However, there are several others who have expressed their shock and dismay at the possibility, given that Johnson still faces a parliamentary inquiry over whether he misled the House of Commons on the parties held at Downing Street under his watch.
Polling suggests the former prime minister, who won a thumping majority in the 2019 general election, remains popular with the wider Tory membership.
Johnson’s return would mark a dramatic comeback, having been dragged out of office by his Cabinet and MPs only 45 days ago.
Mordaunt and her supporters are also said to be tallying up the numbers in her favour.
A maximum of three finalists are possible, given the Tory tally of 357 MPs in the Commons. The MPs will then hold an “indicative” ballot to pick the final two, with the winner then decided in an online vote of party members. If the 170,000 Tory members do get a vote on the top two contenders, the new leader will be declared by next Friday. However, should Tory MPs manage to agree on one candidate, the contest could be over on Monday.
(With agency inputs)
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