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LAST UPDATE | 21 Oct 2022
RISHI SUNAK HAS reportedly reached the necessary level of support from MPs to be nominated as a candidate to be the UK’s next prime minister.
Sunak, who ran against outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss for the position this summer, has hit the 100-nomination threshold to make it to the next stage of the Tory leadership contest, according to a campaign source.
Earlier today, Penny Mordaunt, who also ran in the summer, became the first Tory MP to announce that she was seeking to replace Liz Truss.
Mordaunt, the current Leader of the House of Commons, said in a tweet: “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.”
I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest.
— Penny Mordaunt (@PennyMordaunt) October 21, 2022
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
Meanwhile Boris Johnson, who was forced to stand down after a flurry of resignations by ministers, has also been floated as a potential contender
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace threw his his weight behind Johnson to succeed Truss after ruling himself out of the Tory leadership race.
Pointing to Johnson’s record on defence spending and citing the mandate he achieved in 2019, the Cabinet minister said it was important to think about “who could win the next election” for the Conservatives.
Tories have begun to declare their allegiances in the party’s second leadership contest in just four months, as speculation mounts over who will seek to replace Truss at the helm of the party.
Supporters of Johnson are backing the former prime minister to make an extraordinary political comeback while Sunak and Mordaunt also have the public support of several MPs.
Sunak did not answer questions from reporters this morning as he left his home.
A Boris Johnson-supporting MP told PA that the former prime minister told him he is “up for it” and will fly back to the UK from his Caribbean holiday to stand in the Tory leadership contest.
James Duddridge said: “I’ve been in contact with the boss via WhatsApp.
“He’s going to fly back. He said, ‘I’m flying back, Dudders, we are going to do this. I’m up for it’.”
— Jacob Rees-Mogg (@Jacob_Rees_Mogg) October 21, 2022
But veteran backbencher Roger Gale, a long-time critic of Johnson, has warned that if the former PM succeeds he could be met with a wave of resignations by Tory MPs.
Wallace argued that without national security there is “no economic security”, and said he believes it is “important” that whoever puts themselves forward for the top job indicates that.
But he said he also has to “recognise the issue of the mandate”.
“This will be potentially our third prime minister since the general election of 2019, that means we have to think about that legitimacy question that the public will be asking themselves, and also about who could win the next election – that’s obviously important for any political party at the time,” he told broadcasters.
“So at the moment, I would lean towards Boris Johnson. I think he will still have some questions to answer around, obviously, that investigation, but I know when I was Secretary of State for Defence, he invested in defence, he supported me, he supported the actions this country has taken to keep us safe.”
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I bet Boris is saying “here we go again, we’re on the road again……”
@Peter O Donnell: you’d have to wonder is this all part of the plan… BJ successor, who supported his every move, runs the economy to the ground knowing she’ll be shown the door quickly, to make way for the second coming of the messiah
@Connor Coady: it was Sunaks Hawks who helped rallying the markets..
@Peter O Donnell: “we’re on our way to paradise”
@Kieran Fogarty: I was waiting for someone to finish it with were on our way to no10!
@Peter O Donnell: Uh Ah up the
@Joe Johnson: R/A??
@Peter O Donnell:
“Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is flying back to the UK this weekend, a journalist at the Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday.
The Times newspaper had reported that Johnson, who is on holiday abroad, was expected to stand in the race to replace Liz Truss who resigned as Prime Minister earlier on Thursday.”
It’s simple really, a large amount of Conservative MP’s think Boris can win them the next election. That’s all they are interested in. If the Country implodes in the meantime then they might just start thinking about people other than themselves. Don’t bet on it though.
@John Quinn: he is supposed to be 2nd or 3rd in the running and probably wont get the support of 100 MPs.
@Paul Furey: hopefully
Based on the performance of the UK govt over the past few years, I fully expect Boris to become PM for the second time. It’s the most stupid and British outcome.
@Cian Martin: That’s one of the best comments I’ve read on this!!
What are they smoking over there ? Absolutely bonkers
@Declan Moran: maybe that’s why Suella Braverman wanted cannabis upgraded to a class a drug..?
I thought that they had figured out that Boris and the Tories only got the big majority in the last election because of all their brexit lies/promises!
@james boylan: yes, but remember this PM election is a Tory party only thing – it’s not a GE, so they don’t care what the public thinks. They just want to figure out who will allow them to stay in power as long as possible until the next GE which they’re slated to lose.
‘The Cabinet minister said it was important to think about “who could win the next election” for the Conservatives.’ Or perhaps who could steer the country away from spectacular self-destruction? Nah, let’s focus on the election
The markets did not like Truss, they will not like BJ The Disruptor. He won’t get back in.
Many thanks for the laugh…..and the popcorn shortage here in Ireland
Bertie Ahern could fancy his chances of becoming the next Taoiseach again if BoJo pulls this off!!
This will invigorate Trump no end
If this was a drama series on Netflix youd be watching it going ah no this is too far-fetched im not buying this nonsense! Bo-Jo back are you serious!! Unless it was an extremely dark comedy…..
The comedy show continues.
I’m really enjoying this ,,pass the popcorn
I’d love to know if Charles said “Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear” during Trusses call. ;-P
It says it all about the state of the Tories that when one is mentioned the first thing you have to do is find out which of the many, MANY factions within the conservative party they come from.
Any chance that this was the plan along with Boris?
Oh how funny had the Prime Ministers house been eight house down.
@Keth Warsaw: wha
Key in a bowl at number 10 lucky dip
First rule of The Journal : Always close the comments on a John Delaney story or he will sue your a**.
Second rule of The Journal : see first rule.
Preposterous
“The boss” “dudders” fgs
@Johnny Kelly: does nothing to dissuade us of the notion that Torys are just an old boys club of tw@ts
Hugh Grant for PM
All this talk about Truss resigning and new UK PM and the NI protocol has glossed over something much more important that happened over there tonight….. the last ever episode of “Mock The Week”. Now who will take the pi55
I would say she hasn’t a prayer!!
It’s a set up. Sunaks hawks in the markets drive her over edge. Obviously she destroyed herself, but it was driven.
It’s going to be Sunak. He was runner-up last time, and his helping to bring down Johnson is no longer “recent” politically.
This is as unbelievable as Bobby Ewing reappearing in the shower
Boris back! Trump back! Who’s next Shergar?
It is becoming more and more like “The Life of Brian” sketch “Quitters”.
It is classical British farce and nobody does it better, but this is their government!!
have your say