Rishi Sunak has surged way ahead in the lightning-quick race to find Britain’s next PM - and is poised for Downing Street after Boris Johnson dropped out.
The ex-PM privately told backers he would stand in the race. But with a probe into whether he lied to Parliament, ex-leader William Hague warned it could plunge the Tories into a “death spiral” adding: “It's possibly the worst idea I've heard of in the 46 years.”
Eventually Mr Johnson pulled out trying to claim a moral victory - but saying the party was too divided to have him.
