Boris Johnson withdraws from the leadership struggle, and the path appears clear for Rishi Sunak
Reuters
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Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson withdraws from the leadership struggle in the Conservative Party. This paves the way for former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak to succeed Liz Truss as Prime Minister.
Johnson, who resigned as prime minister this summer after a series of scandals, said in a statement he believed he had a good chance of returning to Downing Street next week. He also says he could give the Conservatives a victory in the 2024 parliamentary elections.
However, he does not run for the position of party leader, which automatically entails the premiership. “Unfortunately, I have had to conclude in recent days that this would not be the right move. You cannot govern effectively without a united party in Parliament.”
“unbiased”
Johnson says he has tried unsuccessfully in recent days to align with the other two candidates, Sunak and Benny Mordaunt. The Conservative Party will vote to succeed Truss the next day.
With Johnson out of the race, Sunak (42) appears to be the best candidate. Unlike Mordaunt, he is reassured by the 100 statements of support from MPs needed to participate. According to the BBC, he has nearly 150 people, which is more than enough for him to run for leadership.
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