“Although everything seems bleak now, our future together is glorious.” On July 7, during the speech in which he announced his resignation as leader of the Conservative Party and his departure from the position of British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson gave an appointment.
More than four months later, this Thursday, thanks to the resignation of her successor Liz Truss, the former mayor of London and an important political figure on the other side of the Channel is once again one of the favorites to return to number 10 Downing Street. The rumor of her candidacy, insistent, had already leaked through the British press this summer.
“The question of his successor is thorny. The party has promised to elect him within a week, but who can it be? Boris Johnson hinted at it during his farewell speech, but what will be his legitimacy? He will only be chosen by the members of the conservative party and not by the public”, explains, on the BFMTV antenna, Catherine Heyrendt-Shermann, professor of British Civilization at the University of Reims.
Evidence and cannonballs
Currently on vacation in the Caribbean, Boris Johnson seems to be an obvious resource for the Conservative Party. some deputies towers he even called this candidacy his wishes, assures Sky News.
Building on the late 2019 election triumph, which gave the Conservatives a majority unprecedented since Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, the Brexit hero is, however, hampered by sizeable balls.
His forced departure due to a succession of scandals, including that of Downing Street parties violating anti-Covid restrictions, is not that far away and attributes some responsibility to him in the current debacle.
And, as he takes up paid speaking engagements around the world, it remains to be seen whether Johnson, 58, would be ready to retake control of the party two years before legislative elections, where polls promise a landslide victory for the opposition. labour. .
However, according to British bookmakers, Boris Johnson’s chances are extremely low, as the former prime minister is currently fourth in the race.
Sunak’s hypothesis
To date, Boris Johnson is far ahead of Rishi Sunak, who was heavily beaten by Liz Truss during the final stages of the Conservative Party leader appointment process this summer. However, the former Finance Minister was the preferred candidate of the Conservative MPs.
The wealthy 42-year-old ex-banker has for him the fact that he embodies the reassuring figure of budgetary orthodoxy.
During the campaign, he repeatedly argued that unfunded tax cuts could keep inflation high for decades and undermine market confidence.
The facts have proven him right, but he has a major handicap: many of Boris Johnson’s faithful see him as a traitor whose resignation at the beginning of the summer precipitated the demolition of the former Downing Street tenant. However, he remains the overwhelming favorite in the polls.
Former ministers in the race
Among the other suitors, Jeremy Hunt, Finance Minister since last Friday and new Chancellor of the Exchequer, who recently seemed to be the one holding the reins of power, given how weak Liz Truss was.
It was he who announced on Monday the spectacular setback consisting of reversing virtually all of the Truss government’s fiscal measures that sowed panic in the markets.
This 55-year-old former foreign minister, experienced but considered uncharismatic, however recently assured the BBC that after two failures, in 2019 and then this summer, he did not want to embark on a race for power.
As for Penny Mordaunt, also running against Liz Truss to succeed Boris Johnson this summer, the minister responsible for relations with Parliament was the darling of Conservative activists at the start of the campaign.
Charismatic, this 49-year-old former Defense Minister stood out on Monday in front of Parliament where she replaced Liz Truss in front of the opposition, confidently defending the change in economic direction and explaining that the Prime Minister “does not hide not under a desk” . Even recently the hypothesis of a Mordaunt-Sunak ticket has emerged. It remains to be seen how things will work out before the fateful date of October 28.
Source: BFM TV
