Boris Johnson withdraws from contest for UK PM
Former UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has withdrawn from the contest to become Britain’s next prime minister.
Johnson said although he had enough support to make the final ballot he realized the country and the Conservative Party needed unity.
“I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time,” Johnson said late on Sunday.
He said he had secured the backing of 102 lawmakers and could have been “back in Downing Street”, but that he had failed to persuade either Sunak or the other contender Penny Mordaunt, to come together “in the national interest”.
Johnson’s statement likely paves the way for his arch rival, the 42-year-old former finance minister Sunak, to become prime minister, possibly as soon as Monday.
If confirmed, he would replace Truss who was forced to resign after she launched an economic program that triggered turmoil in financial markets.
Johnson had secured the public backing of just under 60 Conservative lawmakers by Sunday, well under half of the nearly 150 endorsements Sunak had received.
According to the rules, if only one candidate secures the backing of 100 Conservative lawmakers, they will be named prime minister on Monday.
Also Read: UK PM Johnson Resigns Regrets But No Apologies
If two candidates pass the threshold, they will go forward to a vote of the party membership, with the winner announced on Friday, just days before new finance minister Jeremy Hunt lays bare the state of the country’s finances in a budget plan due to be released on October 31.
Sunak said he hoped Johnson would continue to contribute to public life “at home and abroad”.
Johnson is also still facing a privileges committee investigation into whether he misled parliament over Downing Street parties during COVID-19 lockdowns. He could be forced to resign or be suspended from office if found guilty.
Sunak first came to national attention when, aged 39, he became finance minister under Johnson just as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Britain, developing a furlough scheme to support millions of people through multiple lockdowns.
“I served as your chancellor, helping to steer our economy through the toughest of times,” Sunak said in a statement on Sunday.
“The challenges we face now are even greater. But the opportunities – if we make the right choice – are phenomenal.” He added.
If chosen, Sunak would be the first prime minister of Indian origin in the United Kingdom.
Zainab Sa’id
