“After warnings from the heavyweights of the Conservative Party that a return of Johnson would lead to chaos before the end of the week, the former Prime Minister admitted that he did not have the support of enough parliamentarians to be able to lead a unified party”reports The Guardian.
‘Johnson, who had never officially launched his campaign, said Sunday night he believed he could deliver a victory for the Conservatives’ in the 2024 legislative elections, while acknowledging that it was not “not the right time” to return to Downing Street, nor “the right thing to do”adds the left-wing daily.
For the British press, this decision is a new ” spectacular turn of events “ in the soap opera of the government crisis, both Boris Johnson, hastily returned from his Caribbean vacation, seemed determined to cross swords with his former finance minister, whose departure from the government had precipitated his downfall.
“Feint Elegance”
But the architect of Brexit “had too heavy a history to make a new start”judge The Washington Post. “People have already seen the film, which ended in July when the scandal-ridden Johnson was pushed out after more than fifty members of his cabinet resigned, deeming him unfit to lead” the country.
The second part of the saga – or « Johnson 2.0 »according to the expression used by the British press – “would have had the same storyline elements as the original”slice the US title.
Is this for all that “the end of Johnson? It seems unlikely”valued The Spectator. “As they were trying to dissuade him” to run for a new term, Boris Johnson’s supporters made him understand “only by giving up today”he gave himself a chance to be able “return to the future”.
Rishi Sunak reacted to the news of Boris Johnson’s withdrawal with “feigned elegance”remark The country. “Although he has decided not to run for the post of Prime Minister, I remain convinced that he will continue to contribute to the public debate, at home and abroad”wrote the former minister on Twitter.
But the Spanish daily stresses that the two men had met on Sunday afternoon, and that Sunak had refused the hand extended by Johnson. “Some of the Tories and conservative media were calling for a Johnson-Sunak pact to avoid a civil war within the party, but the search for consensus looked more like a desperate maneuver by the former prime minister than a genuine desire to do so. the peace “observes the daily.
” Nothing is acquired “
The contenders have until Monday at 2 p.m. to submit their candidacy, accompanied by at least one hundred sponsorships from deputies. After officially announcing his candidacy on Sunday morning, Rishi Sunak had more than 165 supporters in the evening. Her only declared competitor, Penny Mordaunt, had only twenty-five.
But the Minister for Relations with Parliament “will fight” Monday morning to stay in the race, understands The Daily Telegraph. ‘It will all depend on her ability to attract Mr Johnson’s supporters – a tricky task as she is part of the party’s moderate aide, unlike some of them’.
If Penny Mordaunt does not reach the bar of one hundred sponsorships – or if she withdraws before – Rishi Sunak will be appointed Prime Minister on Monday, for lack of opponents. But according to his relatives, interviewed by The Timesthe former minister “Don’t take anything for granted. Rishi will continue to talk to his colleagues [lundi] matin »to determine “the best way to unify the party and move the country forward”.