Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Boris announcement shocks Westminster
Uxbridge MP rules himself out of prime minister role
UXBRIDGE MP Boris Johnson made a shock announcement that he will not run in the Tory party leadership contest to become Britain’s next prime minister, in a move that has astonished Westminster.
In a speech on Thursday June 30, he announced: “Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me.
“My role will be to give every possible support to the next Conservative administration, to make sure we properly fill the mandate of the people that was delivered at the referendum and to champion the agenda I believe in.”
Despite the bookies tipping Boris as the favourite, the former Mayor of London is now no longer in the race, a rumour that had been mentioned earlier in the morning, before being quickly dismissed.
A key figure in the Leave campaign during the European Union, the Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was seen by many political figures to be the natural successor after the country voted to leave in the historical referendum.
The official list has been announced for the Conservative party leadership by chairman Graham Brady of the 1922 committee, including Theresa May, Michael Gove, Stephen Crabb, Liam Fox and Andrea Leadsom.
Johnson’s backing down came shortly after his close Brexit ally Gove made a surprise announcement that he would stand for the party leadership, saying Johnson ‘cannot provide the leadership or build the task ahead’.
Home secretary Theresa May is now the bookies favourite to lead the country, followed by energy minister Andrea Leadsom.
Johnson and Gove were not the only two Brexiters to shock the world of politics in the fallout from the vote for Britain to leave the European Union on June 23.
UKIP leader and Member of European Parliament Nigel Farage surprised the country on Monday when he announced he would be stepping down as head of his party.
He said: “I have never been, and I have never wanted to be, a career politician. My aim in being in politics was to get Britain out of the European Union. That is what we voted for in that referendum two weeks ago, and that is why I now feel that I have done my bit, that I couldn’t possibly achieve more than we managed to get in that referendum, so I feel that it is right that I should now stand aside as leader of UKIP.”
Voting on the new Conservative leader and Prime Minister opened yesterday (Tuesday) and candidates will be narrowed down to two by Tory MPs before the wider party membership gets a chance to choose.