Rishi Sunak praises Boris Johnson after decision not to run for PM

2022-10-23

Rishi Sunak praises Boris Johnson after his decision not to run in the Tory leadership contest, as former Chancellor George Osborne calls decision a ‘very welcome and sensible judgment’ and Nadhim Zahawi switches to team Rishi

Ex-PM says continuing bid to return to No10 was ‘simply not the right thing to do’
Mr Johnson also said there was a ‘very good chance’ that he would be successful
Reacting to announcement, Rishi Sunak this evening praised former Tory leader
He said Mr Johnson led UK through ‘toughest challenges we have ever faced’
Meanwhile, Nadhim Zahawi moved his support from Mr Johnson to team Sunak

Rishi Sunak has praised Boris Johnson for deciding to quit the Tory leadership race – as former Chancellor George Osborn calls the decision ‘very welcome’ and Nadhim Zahawi moves his support to team Rishi.

The former PM tonight said continuing his bid to return to No10 was ‘simply not the right thing to do’ after unsuccessfully reaching out to his two main rivals in an attempt to make a political pact.

He also said there was a ‘very good chance’ that he would have been successful in the leadership contest, but added that continuing his bid for a return was ‘simply not the right thing to do’.

Reacting to the announcement, Mr Sunak said he hoped the former PM would contribute to ‘public life at home and abroad’.

He added: ‘Boris Johnson delivered Brexit and the great vaccine roll-out. He led our country through some of the toughest challenges we have ever faced, and then took on Putin and his barbaric war in Ukraine. We will always be grateful to him for that.

‘Although he has decided not to run for PM again, I truly hope he continues to contribute to public life at home and abroad. ‘

Former Chancellor George Osborne added: ‘Very welcome and sensible judgement call by Boris Johnson – the country was heading for a constitutional crisis. Instead Rishi Sunak can now – with hard but necessary decisions – begin to restore Britain’s economic credibility and good governance.’

Mr Johnson’s hopes of a return had earlier gained traction when Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Nadhim Zahawi, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, both declared their support.

Mr Zahawi earlier claimed ‘Boris 2.0’ had ‘learned from those mistakes’ he made during his first spell in No10 and would lead the Tories to ‘victory and prosperity’.

But he is now backing Mr Sunak, this evening tweeting: ‘A day is a long time in politics… Given today’s news, it’s clear that we should turn to Rishi Sunak to become our next Prime Minister.

‘Rishi is immensely talented, will command a strong majority in the parliamentary Conservative Party, and will have my full support & loyalty.’

The former PM (pictured arriving at Gatwick Airport on Saturday) tonight said continuing his bid to return to No10 was ‘simply not the right thing to do’

Rishi Sunak appears set to become the new Prime Minister tomorrow after Boris Johnson sensationally dropped out of the Tory leadership race this evening

‘It is simply not the right thing to do’: Boris Johnson bows out of race to return as PM

In statement this evening, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed he was bowing out of the race because it is ‘simply not the right thing to do’, despite claiming he had cleared the ‘very high hurdle of 102 nominations’.

He said: ‘In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament.

‘I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now.

‘A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.

‘I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow. There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.

‘But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.

‘And though I have reached out to both Rishi and Penny – because I hoped that we could come together in the national interest – we have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.

‘Therefore I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds. I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.’

Former Culture Secretary and Mr Johnson loyalist Nadine Dorries also revealed her disappointment that he has bowed out, saying that a general election was now inevitable.

She said: ‘Boris would have won members vote – already had a mandate from the people.

‘Rishi and Penny, despite requests from Boris refused to unite which would have made governing utterly impossible. Penny actually asked him to step aside for her. It will now be impossible to avoid a GE.’

In his statement, Mr Johnson said: ‘In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament.

‘I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now.

‘A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.

‘And though I have reached out to both Rishi and Penny – because I hoped that we could come together in the national interest – we have sadly not been able to work out a way of doing this.

David Morris, Tory MP for Morecambe and Lunesdale, said he is now switching to team Sunak.

He added: ‘Now Boris Johnson has pulled out of the contest, I will be joining Rishi Sunak team. Rishi is experienced, competent and will make a great PM.

‘He has the support of all wings of the Conservative Party and will be able to unite the Party and provide stability for the Country.’

And Lucy Allan, MP for Telford, said that Mr Johnson has ‘done the right thing for the Country’.

As of this evening, 228 out of 357 Tory MPs have gone public with their support. Mr Sunak is understood to have 147 backers, while Ms Mordaunt has just 24. Mr Johnson had 57 when he pulled out, but claimed he had in fact reached more than 100,

It came after Mr Johnson unsuccessfully reached out to his two main rivals in an attempt to make a pact.

Tory leadership race timeline

Monday: Nominations for the race close, candidates making it through must have at least 100 Tory MPs backing them

Monday 3.30 pm: First round of voting (if more than one candidate gets through)

Monday 6pm: Result of first vote announced. If three make it through, the candidate with the fewest votes is be knocked out

Monday 6.30pm: ‘Indicative’ ballot held if two candidates are left, one may drop out

Tuesday-Friday: If two candidates make it through, Conservative Party members have the chance to vote online

Friday: The final vote closes and Britain’s new Prime Minister is announced

Ms Mordaunt, now Mr Sunak’s only rival in the leadership bid, was claimed to have rebuffed attempts from the former Prime Minister to get her to drop out in a phone call.

She is reported to have told Mr Johnson that the majority of her supporters were more likely to have switched to Team Sunak, rather than backing his return to the premiership.

It also means Ms Mordaunt is likely to be short of the 100 backers needed to remain in contention.

But a source from Ms Mordaunt’s campaign said: ‘Penny is still running to be the Leader of the Conservative Party. Penny is the unifying candidate who is most likely to keep the wings of the Conservative Party together and polling shows that she is the most likely candidate to hold onto the seats the Conservative Party gained in 2019.

‘Ed Balls, Shadow Cabinet ministers and Labour advisers have all said Penny is the candidate Keir Starmer fears the most.’

Michael Fabricant, another Mr Johnson loyalist, said he was moving his support to Ms Mordaunt.

He added: ‘I am deeply disappointed that Boris has chosen not to stand. I shall now nominate #PM4PM to let the members of our great Party decide who should be our Leader and next Prime Minister. I abhor political coronations. They invariably get it wrong.’

Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak, meanwhile, met at 8pm last night, where the ex-PM is said to have told his former Chancellor that – if he re-entered No10 with Mr Sunak in a senior role – it would avoid a divisive battle.

But it was subsequently claimed this morning that no agreement had been struck between the pair following negotiations that last around three hours.

Now only Ms Mordaunt now stands in the way of Mr Sunak’s leadership bid. ‘I’m in this to win it,’ the Leader of the House of Commons earlier declared.

But her determined statement comes amid signs she is struggling to win backers, remaining short of the threshold needed despite Mr Johnson’s absence.

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