Boris Johnson has returned to the UK to plot a bid to return as Prime Minister in a move that has divided opinion among Conservative MPs, including his former allies. Mr Johnson arrived at Gatwick Airport on Saturday morning with his family after breaking off a holiday in the Dominican Republic following Liz Truss’s forced resignation on Thursday.
Sky News photographed the ex-prime minister and his wife Carrie Johnson in economy on an overnight British Airways flight back from the Caribbean with their children and said the MP received “one or two boos” as he boarded. Mr Johnson later waved to the press gathered outside the VIP exit to the South Terminal as he walked alone to a waiting Range Rover.
The flight, which was being tracked by around 7,000 users of the FlightRadar24 website, landed 47 minutes behind schedule. Mr Johnson’s ally Sir James Duddridge claimed he has the backing of the 100 MPs required to be on Monday’s ballot but many of them have not publicly declared that support.
READ MORE: LIVE: Next Prime Minister latest as Rishi Sunak 'takes lead' and Boris Johnson flies back to UK
He is likely to be opposed in the leadership race by his former chancellor Rishi Sunak, whose resignation was key in Mr Johnson’s departure from Downing Street this summer, as well as Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt.
And, while he is yet to formally declare he will run, Mr Johnson’s potential reinstatement has divided opinion even among his allies in the parliamentary party, including his former deputy prime minister and foreign secretary Dominic Raab.
Mr Johnson has so far won the support of six Cabinet ministers, including Ben Wallace, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Simon Clarke, Chris Heaton-Harris, Alok Sharma and Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
But he was lagging behind in nominations, as was Ms Mordaunt, who became the first to confirm her candidacy.
Mr Sunak, who came second against Ms Truss in the last race six weeks ago, has reached 100 public declarations, according to a PA news agency tally, far ahead of Mr Johnson’s 50, while Ms Mordaunt struggles on 19.
The Leader of the House, who finished third in the last leadership election, said she had been encouraged by the support she had received from fellow Conservative MPs and wanted to unite the party.
She also assured Jeremy Hunt he could stay on as Chancellor if she won.
There is speculation among backers of the old Downing Street neighbours that they could strike a deal to stand together, but this would need them both to bury a lot of rancour.
Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out, with a result being announced on Friday.
Candidates have until 2pm on Monday to secure the 100 nominations, limiting the ballot to a maximum of three candidates.
Supporters of Mr Johnson believe that if he can make it to the last two, he will win in the final online ballot of party activists with whom he remains hugely popular.
Some MPs have warned they would resign the Tory whip and sit in the Commons as independents if Mr Johnson returns to Downing Street.
Here is who's backing who...
Rishi Sunak (yet to formally declare) – 100
Sir Bob Neill, Mark Harper, Liam Fox, Gavin Williamson, Simon Baynes, Sir Robert Syms, Simon Hoare, Richard Graham, Rehman Chishti, Damian Hinds, Crispin Blunt, Julian Sturdy, Andrew Bowie, Greg Clark, John Glen, Robert Halfon, Robert Jenrick, Guy Opperman, Claire Coutinho, Siobhan Baillie, Angela Richardson, Robin Walker, Mel Stride, Mark Garnier, Jo Gideon, Jonathan Djanogly, Victoria Prentis, Andrew Bowie, Helen Whately, James Morris, Anthony Browne, Nick Gibb, Philip Dunne, Julian Smith, Richard Holden, James Daly, Nigel Mills, Mark Logan, David Rutley, Andrew Bridgen, Gillian Keegan, Chris Philp, Sajid Javid, Jonathan Lord, Lucy Frazer, Duncan Baker, Johnny Mercer, Julie Marson, Steve Double, Kevin Hollinrake, Paul Maynard, Anthony Mangnall, Simon Hart, Craig Williams, John Stevenson, Gary Streeter, Andrew Murrison, Dominic Raab, Simon Jupp, Bim Afolami, James Cartlidge, Fay Jones, Alex Chalk, Maggie Throup, Edward Timpson, Laura Farris, Huw Merriman, Simon Fell, David TC Davies, Stephen Hammond, Andrew Jones, John Baron, Andrew Mitchell, James Wild, Rebecca Pow, Jamie Wallis, Oliver Dowden, Miriam Cates, Alan Mak, Matt Hancock, Tom Tugendhat, Tobias Ellwood, Robert Largan, Paul Howell, Sir Peter Bottomley, Aaron Bell, Helen Grant, Caroline Nokes, David Johnston, George Eustice, James Gray, Jeremy Quin, Selaine Saxby, Desmond Swayne, Steve Brine, Richard Bacon, David Mundell, Steve Barclay, Oliver Heald, Sally-Ann Hart, Greg Hands
Boris Johnson (yet to formally declare) – 43
Michael Fabricant, Leo Docherty, Paul Bristow, Andrea Jenkyns, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Jane Stevenson, Sir James Duddridge, Nigel Adams, Tom Pursglove, Simon Clarke, Jonathan Gullis, Mark Pritchard, Shaun Bailey, Nadine Dorries, Sir Edward Leigh, Priti Patel, Trudy Harrison, Sheryll Murray, Alok Sharma, Marco Longhi, Andrew Stephenson, Christopher Chope, Amanda Milling, Jill Mortimer, Jane Hunt, Ian Levy, Ben Wallace, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Antony Higginbotham, David Morris, Peter Bone, Scott Benton, Sir William Cash, Chris Heaton-Harris, Stephen McPartland, Matthew Offord, Karl McCartney, Gareth Johnson, Bill Cash, James Grundy, Lee Anderson, Ben Bradley
Penny Mordaunt – 21
John Lamont, George Freeman, Bob Seely, Caroline Ansell, Harriet Baldwin, Nicola Richards, Maria Miller, Caroline Dinenage, Andrea Leadsom, John Penrose, Robbie Moore, Kieran Mullan, Neil Hudson, Mary Robinson, Derek Thomas, Damian Collins, Craig Tracey, Marcus Fysh, Tracey Crouch, Heather Wheeler, Damian Green
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