Boris Johnson pulled out of the Conservative leadership contest yesterday, paving the way for Rishi Sunak to become Britain’s next prime minister.
Johnson accused Sunak and Penny Mordaunt, who is also standing for the party leadership, of failing to come together in the national interest after they rebuffed his attempts to strike a deal.
His decision means that Sunak, who was already the frontrunner, could be named as Liz Truss’s successor as soon as today. It also represents a significant climbdown by Johnson, who had told his supporters that he was planning to stand and claimed that he had the support of 102 Conservative MPs — which would have passed the threshold required to declare his candidacy.
Boris Johnson accused his rivals of failing to come together in the national interest
HENRY NICHOLLS/REUTERS
The former prime minister