The race to become Britain’s next prime minister yesterday took a dramatic last-minute turn with former London mayor Boris Johnson — considered a front-runner — ruling himself out of the race after the defection of a key ally.
Johnson, a prominent campaigner for British withdrawal from the EU, told a news conference that the next Conservative Party leader would have to ensure Britain’s standing in the world.
“Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me,” he said.
Photo: Reuters
Johnson dropped out after British Secretary of Justice Michael Gove, his ally in the EU “leave” campaign, astonished the political world by announcing that he was running to succeed British Prime Minister David Cameron.
British Home Secretary Theresa May and Work and British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Stephen Crabb are also in the race.
The winner of the contest, to be announced on Sept. 9, will become prime minister and play a vital role in shaping the nature of Britain’s relationship with the EU after last week’s Brexit vote ended the career of Cameron, whose bid to keep Britain in the EU bloc failed.
Photo: EPA
The bookies’ early favorite is May, who is seen by many in the party as a safe pair of hands as the country struggles to disentangle itself from the EU.
Some media have dubbed May the “Anyone But Boris” candidate.
“This is not a normal leadership held under normal circumstances,” May yesterday said in a speech in London. “The result means we face a period of uncertainty we need to address head on.”
Although May had offered a tepid endorsement of Britain’s place in the EU during the referendum campaign, she was clear that the vote would be respected.
“The United Kingdom will leave the EU,” she said, pledging to create a brand new government department devoted to negotiating Britain’s “sensible and orderly” departure from the 28-nation bloc.
Boosting May’s chances was a last-minute falling out between her two leading competitors — Gove and Johnson — who had campaigned together to yank Britain from the EU.
In a statement, Gove said he would pursue the prime minister’s post after concluding that Johnson “cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead.”
An e-mail from Gove’s wife, Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine, obtained earlier by Sky News, suggested that Gove should ensure he had specific guarantees from Johnson before backing the latter’s bid.
She added that influential right-wing media barons Rupert Murdoch and Paul Dacre “instinctively dislike” Johnson.
Gove’s camp has declined to comment on the missive.
The opposition Labour Party is also is extreme disarray, with leader Jeremy Corbyn facing intense pressure to resign after losing a confidence vote. He has lost the support of the party’s lawmakers, but claims the rank and file still back him.
He is expected to face a formal leadership challenge in the coming days. He has faced heavy criticism for failing to campaign effectively in support of keeping Britain within the EU.
The British pound spiked immediately after Johnson said he would not stand to succeed Cameron.
The currency rose to US$1.3493 from its US$1.3434 level seen just before the surprise announcement by the former London mayor.
The pound was battered following last week’s British vote to leave the EU, and has since staged a gradual recovery.
Additional reporting by AFP
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