Even as Boris Johnson hints at a return to 10 Downing Street, reports suggest that several top Conservative Party leaders are jostling to thwart his attempts to run again for the leadership race.
According to the Guardian, several MPs have expressed opposition to Johnson’s return, describing it to be the “end of the Conservative party”.
“It would be the end for me. I know others who feel the same. The party has already left us behind. If Johnson returned, I would find it impossible to continue,” a former minister was quoted as saying.
Conservative MP Roger Gale on Saturday threatened to resign as the Tory whip if Johnson became prime minister once again.
Another Tory MP echoed similar sentiments saying that they would reconsider their commitment to the party should Johnson return, and warned several other MPs might also risk breaking away from the party, spelling “the end of the Conservative party”.
Many among the Tory members believe that Johnson’s partygate scandal as he deliberately misled the lawmakers made it impossible for them to accept him as the leader.
Some even said that they would push for an early general election and spare Johnson from running for the PM.
Also read | UK’s Johnson, Sunak meet for talks amid battle for Tory leadership
The sentiment on not letting Johnson secure another term found resonance even among the One Nation wings of the party who were urging Johnson not to stand.
Former Brexit minister and close ally of Johnson David Frost urged his party colleagues in the Commons to throw their support behind Sunak.
Also read | UK: Rishi Sunak takes an early lead in PM race, gets backing of over 100 MPs
In a tweet, he said, “Boris Johnson will always be a hero for delivering Brexit. But we must move on. It is simply not right to risk repeating the chaos and confusion of the last year. The Tory party must get behind a capable leader who can deliver a Conservative programme. That is Rishi Sunak.”
Meanwhile, Johnson held secret talks with Sunak, another top contender, after his team on Saturday claimed that he had privately secured the support of the 100 MPs necessary for entering the race, despite only 55 backing him in public.
(With inputs from agencies)
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