Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson returned to London on Saturday morning after a Caribbean holiday, consolidating his position in the race for Downing Street, but Rishi Sunak, the only person to get the necessary 100 votes, continued to widen the gap, AFP reported.

Rishi SunakPhoto: Profimedia Images

After the resignation of Liz Truss, who was in office for only 44 days, three names appeared in the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party:

  • current Parliamentary Affairs Minister Penny Mordaunt, who formally nominated herself on Friday,
  • Rishi Sunak, the former finance minister who lost to Liz Truss in early September,
  • and former prime minister Boris Johnson, who resigned in July after a series of scandals.

Boris Johnson landed in London on Saturday morning. On Friday night, one of his allies in Parliament, James Duddridge, spoke about the conversation with his “boss”. He said: “We will do it, I am ready,” said this People’s Deputy.

But the former prime minister, who left the parliament on July 20 with cries of “Hasta la vista, baby!”, has not yet officially announced his candidacy.

Rishi Sunak, whose resignation from the Johnson government, followed by about 60 others, led to the resignation of his boss, also has not publicly announced his candidacy.

Behind-the-scenes fight for votes

He is the first to break the 100-strong mark on Friday night to hope to lead the Conservative Party and thereby win Downing Street.

According to James Duddridge, Boris Johnson has also passed the 100 mark, but this has not been confirmed. And still far behind in the media chart.

Rishi Sunak had 123 endorsements by Saturday afternoon, ahead of Boris Johnson (72) and Penny Mordaunt (25), according to race watch website Guido Fawkes.

Candidates have until noon Monday to get those votes.

Deputies will be the first to vote, and if two candidates remain in the race, 170,000 party members will have to decide between them in online voting until October 28.

If there is only one candidate, he will go straight to Downing Street early this week.

On Saturday, much of the game was behind the scenes for Johnson and Sunak, who have been feuding since last summer, each trying to win over supporters that further divided the Conservatives.