Liz Truss latest: Boris Johnson backed by Cabinet ministers as Penny Mordaunt
Liz Truss resigns as PM after just 45 days in Downing Street
Boris Johnson’s hopes of a return to No 10 were given a boost after defence secretary Ben Wallace announced he was “leaning towards” backing him as Liz Truss’s replacement in No 10 – as Penny Mordaunt became the first to officially enter the leadership race.
Two other Cabinet ministers – Jacob Rees-Mogg and Simon Clarke – are among dozens of Tory MPs who have publicly supported Mr Johnson’s return to Downing Street three months after he resigned in a mire of scandal.
The former PM was believed to be flying home from a Caribbean holiday and “taking soundings” about a leadership bid – despite facing a by-election if a Commons investigation concludes he lied over the Partygate scandal.
Although he has less support than Rishi Sunak, Mr Johnson was claimed to be pressing his former chancellor to “get back together”, and privately urging Tory MPs to back him as the only candidate able to save them from electoral wipeout.
Nominations among Tory MPs opened at lunchtime, and 100 votes are needed by Monday for a candidate to secure a place on the first ballot.
Tory MP is ‘incredibly optimistic’ Penny Mourdant will get 100 MP nominations
Robbie Moore, MP for Keighley & Ilkley told the PA news agency: “What we need now is a candidate more than ever that is able to unite the Conservative Parliamentary Party, able to unite our membership, but most importantly that is able to deliver on the 2019 manifesto commitments that we made, and that is exactly why I think Penny is the right person to take not just the Conservative Party forward but our nation forward.”
He added: “Absolutely, and the reason I say that is because there are a lot of Conservative MPs having conversations as we speak, things are very fast-moving and a lot have not actually declared who they’re voting for at the moment.
“So I am incredibly optimistic, I think, that Penny will absolutely get the numbers and I am really excited actually that we have a potential opportunity of having a candidate that is able to unite the Conservative Party, that is able to ensure that we create that stability, that we will also get on with delivering on what our constituents want.”
Aisha Rimi21 October 2022 18:02
Cop26 president Alok Sharma backs Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership race
He tweeted: “I am backing @BorisJohnson – he won a mandate from the electorate in 2019.
“We need to get back to delivering on the @conservatives manifesto we were elected on.”
Aisha Rimi21 October 2022 17:50
Former minister Johnny Mercer backs Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership race
He told BBC Radio 4’s PM programme: “I think now we need to clearly come behind someone who is capable, professional, calm, competent and will deliver government in a way people expect.
“For me that is Rishi Sunak.”
Johnny Mercer said he could not put himself or his constituents through another Boris Johnson leadership.
He said: “Boris is a…
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