Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson — who stepped down following an ethics scandal just three months ago — re-emerged Friday as one of the top contenders to replace Liz Truss, who announced her resignation Thursday amid battles over her economic policies.
The governing Conservative Party has ordered a lightning-fast race that aims to install a new prime minister within a week.
The leadership uncertainty comes at a time of weak economic growth and as millions struggle with higher borrowing costs and rising prices for groceries, fuel and other basics. A growing wave of strikes by train and postal workers, lawyers and others has revealed mounting discontent as a recession looms.
Johnson has not declared he is running, but bookmakers have made him one of the favorites to win the contest.
Truss quit on Thursday after a turbulent 45 days, citing her inability to deliver on her tax-cutting economic package.
House of Commons leader Penny Mordaunt was the first candidate to declare she is running to replace Truss, saying in a tweet that she represented “a fresh start.”
I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest.
I’m running to be the leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister – to unite our country, deliver our pledges and win the next GE.#PM4PM pic.twitter.com/MM0NTHJ5lH
— Penny Mordaunt (@PennyMordaunt) October 21, 2022
The straight-talking 49-year-old Royal Navy reservist, who briefly served as U.K. defense secretary in 2019, is bookies’ third favorite. Outside Conservative circles, she is best known for appearing on the 2014 reality TV diving show “Splash!”
Should Boris Johnson be given a second chance as Britain’s prime minister?
The oddsmakers’ favorite, though yet to declare, is former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, who was previously runner-up to Truss.
Sunak, 42, had harshly criticized Truss’ tax-cutting plans, and the former hedge-fund manager’s supporters claim he would be a steady hand for an ailing economy.
Popular Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who was touted as a possible contender, ruled himself out of the race on Friday.
The wild card is Johnson, who left office in July and still faces an inquiry into whether he lied to Parliament as prime minister — one that could lead to his suspension as a lawmaker.
He has not said whether he will run, but his allies in Parliament are working to gather support for an “I’m Backing Boris” campaign, and he is the No. 2 among oddsmakers. Johnson is expected to return shortly from a Caribbean vacation.
Johnson, 58, is still adored by many Conservatives as a vote winner with a rare common touch who led the party to a big election victory in 2019. He is more popular with the party’s grassroots than with lawmakers.
“Having a winner in place is what the party needs to survive,” Johnson ally Nadine Dorries told Sky News.
One of his lapses was being fined by police for attending one of a series of illegal parties in government buildings while the U.K. was under lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic.
Johnson resigned after a scandal involving his appointment of a politician who had been accused of sexual misconduct.
He left reluctantly, calling the decision to oust him “eccentric” and ending his final appearance in Parliament with the words: “Hasta la vista, baby.”
Former Conservative leader Michael Howard implored the party not to return to what he described as the “psychodrama” of the Johnson era.
“He’s had his chance, and it didn’t work,” Howard said.
Nominations for a new leader will close on Monday afternoon, and candidates will need the signatures of at least 100 of the 357 Conservative lawmakers, meaning a maximum field of three.
If three meet that threshold, lawmakers will vote to knock out one and then hold an indicative vote on the final two.
The party’s 172,000 members will then get to decide between the two finalists in an online vote.
The new leader is due to be selected by Oct. 28.
Truss quit amid a backlash to her proposal for aggressive tax cuts that would be paid for through government borrowing. The effort pummeled the value of the pound, drove up the cost of government borrowing and home mortgages, and forced emergency Bank of England intervention.
Truss executed a series of U-turns and replaced her Treasury chief but faced a rebellion from lawmakers in her party that obliterated her authority.
“I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party,” she said Thursday.
The Conservative Party turmoil is fueling demands from the left for a national election. Under Britain’s parliamentary system, there does not need to be one until the end of 2024, though the government has the power to call one sooner.
Keir Starmer, leader of the left-wing Labour Party, accused the Conservatives of presiding over a “revolving door of chaos.”
“This is doing huge damage to our economy and the reputation of our country,” he said. “We must have a chance at a fresh start. We need a general election — now.”
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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