A former lover of Boris Johnson has dramatically claimed he will stand to be the next Tory leader. However, this has been quickly rubbished as it would be against Tory party rules.
The PM’s former mistress, Petronella Wyatt, posted on social media, alleging that a No10 source informed her Mr Johnson intends to stand down as PM on Monday in order to launch a leadership bid. Mr Johnson caved to pressure from his own Conservative MPs to quit on Thursday but has stubbornly said he will remain in office until his successor is appointed.
Johnson is now facing growing demands from within the party to let deputy prime minister Dominic Raab take over in the interim. Journalist Ms Wyatt, 54, who had an affair with Mr Johnson between 2000 and 2004, this week compared him to a “dictator” who was obsessed with “his own divine right” earlier this week.
She soon backtracked from those comments after his resignation speech, later adding: “Politics is a very nasty game. I can’t help but feel sorry for Boris now.”
She previously believed his ego would not allow him to walk away from the position and instead predicted he would fill his cabinet with loyalists as the crisis among his party deepened following resignation after resignation. However, the rules of the leadership elections for the Conservative Party would mean Mr Johnson can’t stand to be its next leader, report Mirror Online.
The rules state: “A leader who resigns is not eligible to contest the subsequent leadership election.”
This is reinforced in page 18 of the Conservative constitution which adds: “A Leader resigning from the Leadership of the Party is not eligible for re-nomination in the consequent Leadership election.”
A No10 source told Sky News that Mr Johnson will not attempt to stand in any leadership contest and that the claim he will do so is “untrue”. Some MPs have already started throwing their hat into the ring to become the next Tory leader and PM, with Rishi Sunak currently leading in polls to replace him.
The former Chancellor kicked off his campaign to replace Mr and “restore trust” in politics, even though he was one of the most senior government figures to be fined for breaking lockdown rules. Mr Sunak shared a lavish, polished three-minute video on social media in which he described how his parents arrived in Britain full of hope.
“My family gave me opportunities they could only dream of. But it was Britain, our country, that gave them and millions like them the chance of a better future,” he says in the video.
He has reportedly asked former health secretary Sajid Javid to step aside and support his campaign to become PM, with more MPs set to announce their intention to run in the coming days. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries is understood to be joining the race to become PM in order to keep Mr Johnson’s flame alive.
A fierce Johnson loyalist, Dorries is said to be “seriously thinking about running as a disruptor candidate”. As Mr Johnson delivered his speech from the lectern outside No10 on Thursday, Dorries stood alongside his wife Carrie and their nine-month-old daughter Romy.
Earlier today, however, Tory frontrunner Ben Wallace ruled himself out of the race. The defence secretary had been tipped to lead the pack if he threw his hat into the ring but said on Twitter : “After careful consideration and discussing with colleagues and family, I have taken the decision not to enter the contest for leadership of the Conservative Party.
“I am very grateful to all my parliamentary colleagues and wider members who have pledged support. It has not been an easy choice to make, but my focus is on my current job and keeping this great country safe.
“I wish the very best of luck to all candidates and hope we swiftly return to focusing on the issues that we are all elected to address.”
Meanwhile, Brexiteer Steve Baker dropped his own leadership bid yesterday to lend his support to Attorney General Suella Braverman. A spokesperson for Boris Johnson said reports that he is planning to stand down as Prime Minister on Monday in order to run again for Tory leader are completely untrue.
Mr Johnson resigned as leader of the Conservative Party on Thursday, but said he intends to remain in office until his successor is elected. Speaking in Downing Street, he said: “It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister.
“And I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week.
“And I’ve today appointed a Cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.”
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