“DIRE STRAITS”
The Tories were forced into their second leadership contest since the summer due to Truss’s resignation after only 44 days following the disastrous market response to her tax-slashing mini-budget.
She had replaced Johnson in early September following another government revolt over a slew of scandals, most notably the “Partygate” controversy involving COVID-19 lockdown-breaching parties.
His attempt to make an immediate return to Downing Street appeared set to continue months of disarray and disunity within the ruling Conservatives.
Critical backbench Tory MPs warned there could be a wave of resignations under Johnson’s renewed leadership, which might have led to the general election demanded by opposition parties. It is not due for at least two years.
Onetime Johnson allies, such as interior minister Grant Shapps, switched to Sunak. So too did right-wingers including Steve Baker, Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman.
Some, such as Baker, went out of their way to speak out against the former leader’s return. He predicted a Johnson-led government would be “a guaranteed disaster”.
The Brexit figurehead had cut short a Caribbean holiday to return to Britain on Saturday and had won the backing of numerous cabinet members, including Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg.
But in a sign of his diminished political standing, Johnson abruptly conceded late Sunday that “you can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament”.
While he had been “overwhelmed” by the encouragement, he reluctantly decided that “the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward”, he said in Sunday’s statement.
“I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time,” Johnson added, while insisting he had secured the 100 nominations needed to progress in the current contest.
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