Boris Johnson tries to win support for comeback bid, as Sunak enters race to be Britain's next prime minister - CNN

CNN  — 

Boris Johnson was connected Sunday battling to triumph capable enactment to marque what would beryllium a stunning comeback arsenic Britain’s premier minister, arsenic elder Conservative politicians declared their enactment for erstwhile concern curate Rishi Sunak.

The 2 men person go the aboriginal favorites to regenerate Liz Truss, who announced her resignation Thursday conscionable six weeks into a word that threw Britain into governmental and economical turmoil.

Sunak declared connected Sunday greeting that helium would beryllium lasting successful the contest. In a tweet, helium wrote, “The United Kingdom is simply a large state but we look a profound economical crisis. That’s wherefore I americium lasting to beryllium Leader of the Conservative Party and your adjacent Prime Minister. I privation to hole our economy, unite our Party and present for our country.”

The erstwhile chancellor of the exchequer has already reached the 100-nomination threshold to marque it to the voting stage, portion Johnson’s allies said the erstwhile PM had returned from a vacation successful the Caribbean with the volition of joining the race, PA quality reported, but helium has yet to state helium is standing.

A runoff betwixt the 2 men could beryllium divisive for the ruling Conservative party, not slightest due to the fact that galore of Johnson’s supporters blasted Sunak’s resignation successful July for sparking the downfall of his government. Some outlets person speculated that the 2 men could onslaught immoderate benignant of deal.

The BBC reported that a gathering took spot betwixt Johnson and Sunak but “it wasn’t disclosed what they discussed,” portion Britain’s PA Media quality bureau reported the 2 “were said to beryllium locked successful talks precocious into the evening” Saturday.

Sky News, meanwhile, referred to the gathering arsenic a “secret summit.”

Sunak and Johnson, if helium decides to run, volition beryllium up against Leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt, who said Sunday she regretted the alleged “mini budget” that led to economical turmoil successful Britain and the resignation of Truss.

“I precise overmuch regret the mini-budget … I raised concerns adjacent earlier I was successful cabinet,” Mordant told the BBC successful a Sunday interview, adding determination were details astir the fund “the furniture was not alert of.”

The past clip the Conservatives held a enactment contention – pursuing the demise of Johnson’s authorities – Truss came first, Sunak 2nd and Mordaunt third.

Graham Brady, the Conservative authoritative liable for the process, has said immoderate campaigner indispensable person astatine slightest 100 nominations from the party’s MPs by 2 p.m. section clip Monday.

The threshold efficaciously narrows the tract of imaginable candidates to a maximum of 3 arsenic the enactment has 357 MPs.

If lone 1 campaigner meets that threshold, they volition automatically go leader. Otherwise, the remaining candidates volition beryllium enactment to an online ballot by Conservative Party members which volition adjacent connected Friday October 28.

Truss resigned connected Thursday, conscionable six weeks into her disastrous word that pitched Britain heavy into governmental and economical turmoil. Her successor volition beryllium the 5th PM to pb the state since it voted for Brexit successful 2016.

Keir Starmer, person of the main absorption Labour Party, renewed calls for a wide predetermination connected Sunday, aft claiming radical are “fed up to the backmost teeth” with the Conservative enactment and the consequences of their government’s decisions.

“There is simply a prime to beryllium made. We request a wide election! Let the nationalist into decide… Do they privation to proceed with this utter chaos, oregon bash they privation stableness nether a Labour government?” Starmer asked during a BBC interview.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel connected Saturday became 1 of the astir high-profile supporters of Johnson successful his quest to go PM. “Boris has the mandate to present our elected manifesto and a proven way grounds getting the large decisions right,” she said successful a tweet.

But his imaginable instrumentality to the apical occupation has divided opinions wrong the Conservative Party, with galore lawmakers horrified astatine the imaginable of a 2nd Johnson premiership.

Johnson’s erstwhile lawman premier curate and overseas caput Dominic Raab told the BBC, “we cannot spell backwards” and pointed retired that Johnson inactive faces a probe into the alleged partygate ungraded into amerciable gatherings successful Downing Street.

The erstwhile PM is expected to look successful the adjacent fewer weeks earlier the Commons Privileges Committee which is investigating whether helium misled Parliament implicit the parties, which could perchance spot him suspended oregon expelled arsenic an MP.