Boris Johnson withdrew from the race on Sunday, stating that even though he had enough support to advance to the final round, he realised the country and the Conservative Party needed unity. Rishi Sunak appeared destined to become Britain’s next prime minister.
After returning from vacation in the Caribbean, Johnson hurried home to try to win the support of 100 parliamentarians so that he could run in Monday’s election to succeed Liz Truss, who took over for him in September after he was forced to resign due to a series of scandals.
He said he had 102 lawmakers’ support and could have been “back in Downing Street,” but he was unable to convince either Sunak or the other candidate, Penny Mordaunt, to cooperate “in the national interest.”
Johnson stated late on Sunday, “I believe I have much to give but I am concerned that now is just not the appropriate time.”
By Sunday, the former prime minister had won the public support of fewer than 60 Conservative lawmakers, which is significantly less than Sunak’s over 150 endorsements.
Sunak, a 42-year-old former finance minister and Johnson’s bitter adversary, is now set to be appointed prime minister, maybe as soon as Monday. If approved, he would take over for Truss, who was forced to step down after launching an economic agenda that caused havoc on the financial markets.
According to the rules, the prime minister will be chosen on Monday if only one contender receives the support of 100 Conservative lawmakers.
If two candidates clear the bar, they will advance to a vote of the party membership. The winner will be declared on Friday, just days before Jeremy Hunt, the country’s new finance minister, reveals the health of the nation’s finances in a budget plan scheduled for release on October 31.
That sparked worries that Johnson would retake Downing Street with the support of party members rather than a majority of parliamentarians, further dividing the party. Late on Sunday, Hunt formally endorsed Sunak.
Some Johnson supporters might have shifted to Mordaunt, who has run as the candidate for unity, but many did so right away. The former defence minister will remain in the race, according to a source close to the Mordaunt campaign.
According to the source, “She is the uniting candidate who is most likely to keep the wings of the Conservative Party together.”
Since becoming mayor of London in 2008 and then becoming the face of the Brexit vote in 2016, Johnson has loomed enormous over British politics. Even though he guided the Conservative Party to a resounding victory in the 2019 election, he was ousted from office just three years later due to a ministerial uprising.
Sunak expressed his hope that Johnson will continue to make a positive impact on society “at home and abroad”.
As one Sunak supporter who wished to remain unnamed put it, if Johnson had won, the “party would have torn itself apart.”
I supported Boris for prime minister, but I believe he has made the correct decision for the nation, another Conservative legislator, Lucy Allan, wrote on Twitter.
Other Johnson supporters immediately deserted the cause.
A day is a long time in politics, according to Cabinet office minister Nadhim Zahawi, who just moments earlier had written a positive article about Johnson for the Daily Telegraph website.
He declared, “Rishi will have my complete support and commitment. He is incredibly talented and will command a strong majority in the legislative Conservative Party.
Many Conservative legislators who often support Johnson changed their vote earlier to support Sunak, arguing that the nation needed a period of calm after months of unrest that generated headlines and alarmed people all around the world.
Johnson is still under investigation by the privileges committee for allegations that he misled the legislature over Downing Street parties during COVID-19 lockdowns. If found guilty, he might be required to step down or face a suspension from his position.
Sunak first gained widespread recognition when, at the age of 39, he was appointed finance minister by Johnson just as the COVID-19 pandemic reached Britain and created a furlough programme to aid millions of people through numerous lockdowns.
Sunak stated in a statement on Sunday, “I served as your chancellor, helping to steer our economy through the roughest of times.” “The difficulties we currently face are far more severe. But if we choose well, the opportunities are incredible.”
Sunak would become the country’s first prime minister of Indian descent if elected.
His family immigrated to Britain in the 1960s, a decade that saw a large influx of colonial residents seeking work following the Second World War.
He attended Stanford University after receiving his degree from Oxford University, where he met his future wife Akshata Murthy, whose father is Indian billionaire N R Narayana Murthy, the creator of the world’s largest outsourcing company Infosys Ltd.
