By Oyintari Ben
Boris Johnson, a former British Prime Minister, has abandoned his campaign to become the leader of the Conservative Party, putting an end to his public but unsuccessful quest to take back the position he lost less than three months ago.
At a period of political unrest and significant economic difficulties, his retirement on Sunday makes former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak the frontrunner to become the next prime minister of the United Kingdom—the third this year.
After returning from vacation in the Caribbean, Johnson hurried home to try to win the support of 100 lawmakers so that he could run against Liz Truss, who succeeded him in September after he was forced to resign due to a series of scandals.
He said late on Sunday that he could have been “back in Downing Street” after winning the support of 102 lawmakers, but that he was unable to convince either Sunak or the other candidate Penny Mordaunt to work together “in the national interest.”
Johnson remarked, “I think I have a lot to offer, but I’m afraid this just isn’t the right time.”
By Sunday, the former prime minister had won the public support of fewer than 60 Conservative lawmakers, which is significantly less than Sunak’s over 150 endorsements.
Johnson’s remarks are likely to make it possible for Sunak, his 42-year-old rival, to take office as prime minister as soon as Monday.
In the event that he is confirmed, he would succeed Truss, who was forced to step down after launching an economic agenda that caused havoc on the financial markets.
According to the criteria, only one candidate will be declared prime minister on Monday if they can secure the support of 100 Conservative lawmakers.
