Rishi Sunak, Boris Johnson camp claim to hit 100 MP mark

The 42-year-old front-runner’s numbers continue to grow as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson flew back from his Caribbean vacation and his camp also claimed he had the necessary at least 100 MPs to run for leadership.

Neither Sunak nor Johnson have officially announced their intention to run in the leadership election, with Commons leader Penny Mordout the only candidate so far to have officially announced their candidacy.

However, the betting odds continue to rise as the former finance minister has secured a comfortable lead with the support of some heavyweight Tory ministers and MPs from across the Conservative Party.

“Rishi made the right plan in the summer and I think it’s the right plan now,” former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab told the BBC.

“I think he’s the best person to provide some stability and confidence to millions of workers and businesses across the country,” he said.

Raab warned that Johnson, the former leader battered by the party scandal, is making a comeback just over three months after being forced to resign, noting that the UK parliament is still investigating whether he misled the streets of the House of Commons over Downing’s blockade of illegal parties.

“We can’t go backwards. We can’t have any more episodes of Groundhog Day, soap operas and Party Gate. We have to move the country and the government forward,” he said.

Just as Johnson was pictured by Sky News on a flight back to London with his wife and children from the Dominican Republic, he told allies he planned to go again at 10 Downing Street.

The total number of MPs who have publicly backed his comeback stands at 53, with former Home Secretary Priti Patel a high-profile backer who believes he will reach 100 by 2pm local time on Monday. requests of MPs. Make a shortlist.

“Boris has the mandate to deliver our elected manifesto and a proven track record getting the big decisions right. I support him in the leadership race,” she tweeted.

If there is only one candidate left on Monday, an online Conservative membership vote for the winner to be announced next Friday will not have to take place next week.

If either candidate gets 156 MPs, the race will automatically be narrowed to a two-man shortlist – not enough to support a third candidate’s minimum of 100 considering the Conservatives’ total of 357 MPs in the House of Commons .

Meanwhile, there has been widespread speculation among supporters of both candidates that Sunak and Johnson may reach some sort of deal.
Sunak is expected to reject any proposal for a cabinet position during the leadership campaign, given that Sunak is the front-runner and has already resigned from Johnson’s government once this year, The Telegraph reported.

But no explicit statement of rejection was issued, leaving job acceptance if Johnson does emerge victorious.

Sunak is being urged to offer Johnson a cabinet position, such as home secretary, to agree to let him step back before any vote with Tory members.

Sunak won the first round of votes in Tory MPs but lost to Truss in the leadership race last month, in a vote of 170,000 Tory members who either backed Truss’ now-failed promise of tax cuts, or the view that Sunak has stepped up to Johnson’s downfall by resigning as prime minister.