Would-be successors to Boris Johnson were today preparing their leadership bids after the prime minister fired the starting gun in the race to become the next UK leader.
After an extraordinary 48 hours in which dozens of ministers, aides and MPs quit or withdrew their support, Mr Johnson resigned on Thursday as Conservative leader.
In his unrepentant resignation speech in Downing Street, he blamed the “herd” mentality of parliament for turning against him and said he had tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade colleagues that it would be “eccentric” to change governments at this time.
He offered no contrition for the scandals of “partygate” or his handling of the sexual harassment claims surrounding Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip.
Mr Johnson, 58, said he intended to remain prime minister until a new leader of the Conservative Party is found, a process which could take months.
However, calls are building for him to leave immediately and for an acting leader to head the world's fifth-largest economy.
Polling suggested most Britons favour his rapid exit, as claims surfaced that Mr Johnson was only hanging on to enjoy a wedding party with wife Carrie at his government-funded country retreat Chequers.
Who could replace Boris Johnson?
With no clear front-runner, about a dozen potential candidates — including backbenchers as well as ministers — are thought to be considering a challenge to become Tory leader.
Polling among MPs is expected to begin as early as Wednesday with a second round the next day, that should whittle the field down considerably.
Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor, was the first big name to put himself forward as the next prime minister. His annoucement on Friday afternoon was very quickly endorsed by two senior Tories, former chief whip Mark Spencer and Laura Trott, a ministerial aide.
"I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister," Mr Sunak tweeted. "Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country."
The Commons' Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Tom Tugendhat threw his hat in the ring early, saying he was putting together a “broad coalition” offering a “clean start”.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the former soldier said: “I have served before — in the military, and now in Parliament. Now, I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister.”
Being among the first to annuonce has seen former army officer gain early support among MPs with five now saying they will vote for him, including former ministers Damian Green and Stephen Hammond. MR Hammond said the next leader must have “integrity” to “restore lost trust in the government”.
While Mr Tugendhat, 49 does not have any experience running a government department, his integrity and clear-headed approach have won supporters. He is also a fluent Arabic speaker, learnt from his time in Yemen and several months spent in Beirut.
The MP is widely versed on Middle East issues and spoke out against the US and British decision to precipitately abandon Afghanistan last year.
Another person who The National understands has decided to enter the contest is the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who is respected for the effective and competent running of his department.
He was also a strong advocate for a rapid return to air travel after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Shapps was a loyal supporter and friend of Mr Johnson — having run his leadership campaign in 2019 — but was among the coterie of Cabinet ministers who urged him to resign on Wednesday evening.
That could win him respect among MPs and Mr Johnson might also lend him support.
Attorney General Suella Braverman and Brexiteer Steve Baker have also shown interest.
Among the early favourites are former chancellor Rishi Sunak — who quit on Tuesday, helping to set off several ministerial resignations — and the man who succeeded him, Nadhim Zahawi.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who was returning early from an international gathering in Indonesia, and Defence Secretary Ben Wallace are both thought to have significant support.
Graham Stuart, a new Foreign Office minister, publicly backed Mr Wallace if he decided to enter the race saying he was competent, had integrity and "a history of serving the nation".
Another minister considering a run is Cabinet Office Minister Penny Mordaunt.
From outside the government, former health secretary Sajid Javid, who also quit on Tuesday, and Jeremy Hunt, who was runner-up to Mr Johnson in 2019, may also stand.
Calls to speed departure
Former prime minister Sir John Major was among those backing calls for Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab to be installed as a caretaker prime minister until a permanent successor is in place.
Alternatively, he suggested a foreshortened leadership contest with Tory MPs electing the new leader who would then take office while party members in the country would be asked to endorse their choice.
Opposition leader Keir Starmer has threatened a confidence vote in parliament in an attempt to hasten Mr Johnson's departure, while Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Johnson hanging around “would cause chaos”.
On Friday, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said Mr Johnson should go immediately “as he can't be trusted”.
Newly appointed Education Secretary James Cleverly, the government minister put forward for the morning media round, said on Friday that he did not agree with calls for Mr Johnson to stand down immediately.
The Conservative Party needs to hold a full contest to find the best leader, Mr Cleverly said.
“[Mr Johnson] remains prime minister until a new prime minister is found; that's how our system works,” he told Sky News.
“I think that everyone recognises the incentive of doing that properly and professionally but quickly, so that we can get some certainty.”
In an “ideal world”, Mr Raab would have been the caretaker prime minister but “that ship has sailed”, the treasurer of the 1922 Committee which runs Tory leadership contests said.
Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told BBC’s Today programme: “They decided that Boris Johnson should remain and he has said very clearly that he won’t be making any major changes during that period. And I think that is a good thing.
“Those ministers who are coming back in a caretaker role, having had resigned [from] work, it will be a little awkward for them.”
There is recent precedent for prime ministers to remain in place until a new leader is found — Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair, David Cameron and Theresa May all resigned in office rather than being defeated at an election, and stayed until a successor was chosen.
At a meeting of the Cabinet on Thursday, Mr Johnson sought to reassure ministers he would not seek to introduce any new policies in his remaining time in office and would leave any major tax and spending decisions to the next prime minister.
But after he made clear his frustration at the way he had been forced out by an unprecedented wave of ministerial resignations, many in the party remain deeply suspicious of his intentions.
George Freeman, one the last ministers to quit before Mr Johnson made his announcement, said the tone of his address did not suggest he would see out his time with “quiet humility and contrition”.
“My real worry is the instability will fuel a febrile moment of midsummer madness, where we choose the wrong person in a hurry because of the instability,” he said.
-
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has succumbed to a rebellion in his ruling Conservative Party and said he would stand down as leader. Reuters -
Several crises, including sleaze allegations against a Conservative MP, had increased the pressure on Mr Johnson. Tim Hammond / No 10 Downing Street -
More than 50 members of his government, including health secretary Sajid Javid and chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak, have quit. AP -
A new Conservative leader will be selected before a party conference is held in October. AP -
A protester outside Parliament in London. Getty -
Questions are mounting over how much Mr Johnson knew about accusations of misconduct against MP Christopher Pincher. PA -
Nadhim Zahawi leaves No 10 Downing Street after being named as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer. Getty -
Mr Johnson survived an attempt by Tory MPs to oust him in a vote of confidence in June. PA -
Mr Johnson leaves the Houses of Parliament after the vote. Tory MPs voted by 211 to 148 in the secret ballot in Westminster. EPA -
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, announcing the result of the vote. PA -
A police officer patrols Downing Street on Monday. The vote of no confidence marked the most serious challenge yet to Mr Johnson's three-year tenure as prime minister. EPA -
A protester holds up an anti-Boris Johnson placard outside parliament in London. EPA -
Boris Johnson reads the long-awaited report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the Downing Street party scandal. Photo: Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street -
A gathering in the Cabinet Room at No 10 Downing Street on Mr Johnson's birthday. Photo: Cabinet Office -
Mr Johnson during a gathering held while lockdown rules were in force across the UK. Photo: Cabinet Office -
Another gathering at No 10 Downing Street to mark the departure of a special adviser. Photo: Cabinet Office -
Mr Johnson apologises to MPs in the House of Commons in April, having been fined after a police probe for attending a party during coronavirus lockdowns imposed by his own government. AFP -
Mr Johnson was no more than 30 seconds into his speech when the first shout of 'resign' was heard from the opposition benches, followed by 'you’re an embarrassment' and 'just go'. Reuters -
'I take this opportunity on the first available sitting day to repeat my wholehearted apology to the House,' he said, admitting that 'people had a right to expect better of their prime minister'. AFP -
The prime minister, pictured with a birthday cake baked for him by school staff at Bovingdon Primary Academy in Hemel Hempstead, said it ‘didn't occur’ to him that a gathering on June 19, 2020 to mark his 56th birthday broke coronavirus rules. AFP -
Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak, left, was also fined for attending lockdown parties held in and around Downing Street. AFP -
Mr Johnson is the first sitting prime minister to be censured for breaking the law, sparking calls from all sides of parliament, including some in his own party, to step down. Reuters -
A lone protester demonstrates at Downing Street in London. EPA -
Before the war broke out in Ukraine, Mr Johnson appeared vulnerable to the Partygate controversy. He has been praised by some for his response to the conflict. AFP -
Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie applaud health workers outside No 10 Downing Street in May 2020. Getty -
Mr Johnson makes a statement in the House of Commons in January on a report regarding the Downing Street parties during lockdown. Reuters -
A journalist highlights sections of the Sue Gray report. AFP -
Mr Johnson is understood to have been present at six of at least 12 'partygate' events under investigation. One occurred on the eve of Prince Philip’s funeral, at which Queen Elizabeth II had to grieve away from other mourners because of social distancing protocol. Getty
On Monday, elections will take place to the executive of the backbench 1922 Committee, which will then set out the rules and timetable for the leadership contest.
Under current rules, MPs will vote in a series of secret ballots — depending on how many candidates there are — with the final two going forward to a vote of the membership.
In a sign of what could be a bruising contest, Brexit Opportunities Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Johnson loyalist, launched a stinging attack on Mr Sunak’s record at the Treasury.
“Rishi Sunak was not a successful chancellor. He was a high tax chancellor, and he was a chancellor who was not alert to the inflationary problem,” he told Channel 4 News. He is understood to have the backing of former senior ministers Oliver Dowden and Robert Jenrick.
Former Tory minister Andrew Mitchell said the next resident of No 10 needed to be someone “patently moral” who is “uncontaminated” by the previous tenant’s “mistakes”.
He told the BBC: “We need to have a leader who is unsullied, uncontaminated, if you like, by the mistakes. Particularly in the tone of the government, as well as some of its action, it needs to be someone clearly with experience. Finally, I think it does need to be someone who is patently moral and decent.”
Rachel Wolf, co-author of the 2019 Conservative manifesto and founder of polling company Public First, said a measured leadership race should take place.
“A really fast contest would be terrible,” she told the Times.
“There are some massive choices that haven’t been resolved by this government and which will split voters, the party, or both.”
Mr Johnson's tumultuous three years in office were defined by Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and non-stop controversy, which resulted in a police fine for breaching his own Covid rules and anger at his deceitful handling of a sexual harassment scandal involving one of his MPs.
On Thursday, he said he was “sad … to be giving up the best job in the world”, justifying his refusal initially to surrender by claiming a personal mandate in the Brexit-dominated general election of December 2019.
Johnson's new Cabinet
Even while eyeing the exit, Mr Johnson sought to steady the ship, making several appointments to replace departed Cabinet members.
They included Greg Clark, an arch “remainer” opposed to Britain's divorce from the EU, which Mr Johnson had championed.
The inexperienced Shailesh Vara was put in charge of Northern Ireland, with the government locked in battle with Brussels over post-Brexit trading rules for the tense territory.
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said Johnson's exit was a chance to reset “strained and challenged” relations.
Convening the new-look Cabinet after his resignation speech, Mr Johnson confirmed his lame-duck status by saying “major fiscal decisions should be left for the next prime minister”, according to Downing Street.
Boris Johnson through the years — in pictures
-
Boris Johnson has had an eventful time during his life in politics and journalism. Here, 'The National' looks back at his life in pictures. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson attends the coronation ceremony of Britain's King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in May. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson leaves his home to attend a televised evidence session in March in front of the Commons Privileges Committee. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson listening to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy address parliamentarians in Westminster Hall in February. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson and Carrie Johnson arrive at Westminster Abbey for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson he announces his resignation as prime minister outside 10 Downing Street in July 2022. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson at a press conference in response to the publication of the Sue Gray report into Partygate at Downing Street in May 2022. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson reads the long-awaited report by senior civil servant Sue Gray into the Downing Street party scandal, in his Downing Street office in May 2022. Photo: Downing Street -
Mr Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in central Kyiv in April 2022. The British prime minister paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv in a show of solidarity with Ukraine. AFP -
Mr Johnson watches an early morning police raid on a home in Liverpool as part of an operation to thwart drug dealing, in December, 2021. Getty Images -
The prime minister battles with his umbrella while with Prince Charles at The National Memorial Arboretum in July 2021, in Stafford, England. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson and his wife before the Uefa European Championship final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium, London, in July last year. Getty Images -
The British prime minister with US President Joe Biden, European Council President Charles Michel, former Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi during the G7 Summit in Cornwall, in June 2021. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson with his wife Carrie in the garden of 10 Downing Street after their wedding at Westminster Cathedral, in May last year. Getty Images -
Boris Johnson visits Hartlepool after Conservative Party candidate Jill Mortimer won a parliamentary by-election in May, 2021. Getty Images -
The prime minister after receiving the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine at St Thomas' Hospital in London in March, 2021. Getty Images -
Boris Johnson after signing a Brexit trade deal with the EU in December 2020. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson examines a vial of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 candidate vaccine, at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Wrexham, Wales, in November 2020. Getty -
Mr Johnson demonstrating the two-metre distancing rule during his visit to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School in Upminster, East London, in August 2020. PA -
In this photo, published alongside the Sue Gray report into the Partygate affair, Mr Johnson is seen at a gathering in the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street on his birthday in June, 2020. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson and former chancellor Rishi Sunak use hand sanitiser during a visit to the Pizza Pilgrims restaurant in June 2020, in east London, to see how they are getting their business ready to reopen as coronavirus lockdown restrictions were lifted in England. PA -
Mr Johnson and his fiancee Carrie Symonds applaud key workers outside 10 Downing Street in May 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson in the Cabinet Room observing a minute's silence in April 2020 in a tribute to the health staff and key workers who died during the coronavirus outbreak. PA -
Boris Johnson appears on monitors for a meeting in March 2020. The prime minister chaired morning meetings on the coronavirus remotely from Number 11 Downing Street, while self-isolating after testing positive for the virus. Reuters -
Members of a family listen as BMr ris Johnson makes a televised address to the nation from 10 Downing Street in March 2020, where he outlined the latest instructions to stay at home to help contain the Covid-19 outbreak. AFP -
Mr Johnson speaks to British troops stationed in Estonia during a one-day visit to the Baltic country in December 2019. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson and Carrie Symonds enter Downing Street as the Conservatives celebrate a sweeping election victory in December 2019. Getty -
Boris Johnson is greeted by staff at 10 Downing Street after meeting Queen Elizabeth II and accepting her invitation to form a new government in December 2012. PA -
Former US president Donald Trump and Mr Johnson arrive for a bilateral meeting during the G7 summit in August 2019 in Biarritz, France. Getty -
The queen welcomes Mr Johnson as the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party, during an audience in July 2019. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson, then Britain's foreign secretary, stands in front of St Basil's Cathedral during a visit to Moscow's Red Square in December 2017. Getty -
Mr Johnson collides with a child during a Street Rugby tournament in Tokyo in 2015, held to mark Japan hosting the 2019 Rugby World Cup -
As mayor of London Mr Johnson competes in a tug-of-war in October 2015. Getty Images -
The Olympic Flag is passed from Mr Johnson to IOC President Jacques Rogge during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games. Getty Images -
Mayor of London Boris Johnson with Prime Minister David Cameron during the lighting of the Paralympic Cauldron in Trafalgar Square, in August 2012. PA -
Boris Johnson gets stuck on a zip-line during a BT London Live event in Victoria Park in August 2012. Getty -
Mr Johnson and Lord Sebastian Coe cheer as a giant set of Olympic rings is displayed from Tower Bridge in June 2012, Getty Images -
Mr Johnson gestures attends a Harry Potter studio tour of Diagon Alley, at the Warner Brother Studios, London, in December 2011. AP Photo -
Mr Johnson at the launch of London's first cycle hire scheme in July 2010. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson with artists' impressions of the design for London's new Routemaster bus in May 2010. Getty Images -
The candidates to be mayor of London; Labour's Ken Livingstone, Conservative Boris Johnson and Liberal Democrat Brian Paddick, being questioned on BBC's 'Newsnight' programme in April 2008. Getty Images -
Boris Johnson on the North Pier in Blackpool during the Conservative Party conference there in October 2005. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson at his desk in 2000 while he was a journalist for 'The Telegraph'. Getty Images -
Mr Johnson when he was president of the Oxford Union society speaking to the Greek minister for culture Melina Mercouri when she addressed the union. Reuters -
Boris Johnson in September 1979, at Eton School. Shutterstock
