After a vacation in the Caribbean, former prime minister Boris Johnson flew back to the UK on Saturday with the intention of making a bold political comeback, while Conservative competitor Rishi Sunak passed the electoral threshold to run for the position of UK president.
Allies told British media that Johnson was “up for it” and that he had cut short a luxurious vacation in the Dominican Republic to enter the contest to succeed departing leader Liz Truss, which appeared to be between three candidates.
The divisive 58-year-old architect of Brexit only stepped down from office in early September, two months after declaring it in the wake of a Tory uprising over a number of scandals.
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Opposition politicians and even some members of his own split ruling party have already criticised his apparent attempt to run for office again just a few weeks later. They are calling for stability and togetherness.
“It is simply not right to risk repeating the chaos (and) confusion of the last year,” said David Frost, a right-wing formerly loyal minister appointed to the House of Lords by Johnson.
“We must move on,” he urged the Tories, adding they “must get behind a capable leader who can deliver a Conservative programme” who he identified as ex-finance minister Sunak.
Frost’s remarks are reminiscent to those made by Johnson’s deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, who told Sky News that an upcoming parliamentary investigation into the “Partygate” affair that hounded his former boss would prove to be too distracting.
Sunak’s parliamentary friends disclosed late Friday that he has obtained the 100 Conservative MP nominations required to run for office.
Despite rumours that Sunak was about to declare his candidacy, Johnson has also yet to confirm his candidacy.
(With inputs from agencies)
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