Boris Johnson, the former British prime minister, stepped down as a candidate to return to the office on Sunday after campaigning hard for a comeback, stating that it was in the nation’s interest to withdraw from leadership aspirations for now. Considering this dramatic development, Rishi Sunak, the former finance minister gaining ground in the race, is the clear favorite. His appointment would mark the first time a person of color of Indian descent would serve as the head of the British government.
Boris Johnson announced Sunday that he would not run for the Conservative Party leadership, marking the end of his short-lived effort to return to the prime minister seat he was ejected from three months ago.#BorisJohnson #UnitedKingdom #UK #Boris #JohnsonNeverAgain #Johnson pic.twitter.com/unTrsqKhOJ
— Live News Now (@LiveNewsNow6) October 24, 2022
His wife is the daughter of the founder of Infosys, an Indian billionaire. They are among the wealthiest couples in the United Kingdom. Upon graduation from Stanford University, Sunak began working at Goldman Sachs as an analyst. He represents a centrist approach to the economy, promising to balance the books and pay attention to announcements from the Bank of England and bond markets. Sunak played an essential role in Johnson’s removal as Prime Minister.
Ethics Scandals Against Johnson
Following his ouster in July amid ethics scandals, Johnson is widely expected to run to replace Liz Truss; in the wake of her tax-cutting economic package last week, which caused financial markets to plummet, she resigned from the government and lost her authority. The congressman spent the weekend trying to gain the support of his colleagues after returning from a vacation in the Caribbean.
Allies encouraged him to run, but Johnson announced his departure. After returning from a vacation in the Dominican Republic on Saturday, Jacob Rees-Mogg told BBC News that he spoke with Johnson and that the minister “clearly intends to stand” after a telephone conversation with him.
This possibility has deeply divided the Conservative Party and alarmed many others in the Conservative Party. Johnson, 58, who officially resigned only in early September, may return to power. In the opinion of Johnson’s supporters, the Johnson administration would be catastrophic for the party and the nation; however, in the opinion of Johnson’s critics, another Johnson administration would be a vote winner with sufficient support in Congress.
Johnson’s former supporter, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, an influential Conservative Party member, warned that a Johnson comeback would be guaranteed disaster. Furthermore, Baker noted that Johnson remains under investigation for lying to Parliament about attending parties at Downing Street and violating COVID-19 restrictions while in office. If Johnson is found guilty, his membership in the House of Representatives could be suspended.
Hunt Announced his Support for Sunak
In an October 31 budget, the new Finance Minister, Jeremy Hunt, will unveil the country’s financial position after passing the threshold. The winner of the party membership vote will be announced on Friday, a few days before Hunt reveals the country’s financial position to the public. There had been concerns that Johnson would not be able to return to Downing Street with the support of party members, as well as a majority of members of Parliament, effectively leaving the party divided.
Source: Web
Late on Sunday, Hunt announced his support for Sunak. “This sort of rancor and division is unprecedented in my experience and is very destabilizing,” said Daniel Kawczynski, a Conservative legislator. The situation is destabilizing for both the party and the nation.
Having Torn itself Apart
There is a possibility that some Johnson supporters will shift to Mordaunt, who has positioned herself as a unity candidate. However, many have already switched to Sunak. It has been reported that former defense minister Mordaunt will continue to participate in the election. “She represents the unifying candidate who has the most chance of keeping the Conservative Party together,” stated the source.
Johnson has played a prominent role in the United Kingdom politics since becoming mayor of London in 2008 and served as the face of the Brexit vote in 2016. However, despite leading the Conservative Party to a landslide election victory in 2019, a rebellion of his cabinet members forced him from office just three years later. In his remarks, Sunak expressed hope that Johnson would continue contributing significantly to public life at home and abroad.
Reuters reports that one Sunak supporter, who demanded anonymity, viewed Johnson’s victory as a relief because Johnson would have ripped the party apart. In a tweet, Lucy Allan, a Conservative legislator, stated that she had backed Boris for Prime Minister, but In his opinion, he did the right thing for the nation by declining the position. Other Johnson supporters immediately abandoned him.
The cabinet office minister Nadhim Zahawi, who had praised Johnson minutes earlier in an article on the Daily Telegraph website, said that in politics, one day is an extended period. He stated that Rishi was highly talented, was bound to secure a strong majority within the Conservative Party, and would have my total support and loyalty.
Read Also: The United Kingdom warned to avoid climate change crisis after corona
