Former British prime minister Boris Johnson arrives at Gatwick Airport in London on Saturday, after travelling on a flight from the Caribbean following the resignation on Thursday of Liz Truss as prime minister. Potential candidates to replace Truss are spending the weekend lobbying to secure enough nominations to enter the leadership contest before Monday's deadline. (Gareth Fuller/PA/The Associated Press)
Boris Johnson returned to Britain on Saturday as he considers an audacious attempt to win a second term as prime minister only weeks after he was forced to step down, with some colleagues warning his comeback could create more political chaos.
Potential candidates to replace Prime Minister Liz Truss, who quit on Thursday after only six weeks in office, were embarking on a frantic weekend of lobbying to secure enough nominations to enter the leadership contest before Monday's deadline.
Johnson, who was on holiday in the Caribbean when Truss resigned, has not commented publicly about a bid for his old job. He has received the support of dozens of Conservative lawmakers but needs to secure 100 nominations to be considered.
James Duddridge, minister of state for international trade, said on Friday that Johnson had told him he was "up for it." He said on Saturday that Johnson had secured 100 nominations, although a Reuters tally put him at about 40, while the tally showed former finance minister Rishi Sunak — for now the bookmakers' favourite — had exceeded 100.
The Sunday Times reported Sunak and Johnson could meet late on Saturday, without giving details on the planned discussions.
Former chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak is shown outside his London home on Saturday. He is the first candidate to hit the threshold of 100 nominations to enter the leadership contest to replace Truss. (Beresford Hodge/PA/The Associated Press)
Only former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt has formally declared she will run, although a Reuters tally showed that so far, she had only 22 nominations before Monday's 1 p.m. GMT deadline.
The next prime minister — a post that will have changed hands three times in four years — faces a huge inbox after Truss's economic plans hammered bond markets, raised government borrowing costs and added more strains on households and businesses already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis.
Political resurrection?
Johnson was booed by some passengers on the plane to Britain, according to a Sky News reporter on the flight, which arrived in London on Saturday morning.
Wearing a dark jacket and backpack, Johnson waved to photographers at London's Gatwick Airport before driving away.
It would be a stunning comeback for the former journalist and mayor of London, who left Downing Street shrouded in scandal and saying fellow party lawmakers "changed the rules halfway through" to prevent him from serving a full term.
In a boost to Sunak, another potential contender, trade minister Kemi Badenoch, who ran in a leadership race earlier this year, backed the former finance minister, thereby ruling herself out from another bid for the top job.
Johnson meets Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas at 10 Downing Street, London, in June. Johnson announced his intention to step down as prime minister in July and officially resigned in September shrouded in scandal. (Alberto Pezzali/The Associated Press)
The prospect of another Johnson premiership is a polarizing issue for many in the Conservative Party, which is deeply divided after seeing off four prime ministers in six years.
For some Conservative lawmakers, Johnson is a vote winner, able to appeal across the country with his celebrity image and brand of energetic optimism. For others, he is a toxic figure who would struggle to unite the party and so might undermine efforts to build a stable leadership to calm rattled financial markets.
'Death spiral'
Former home secretary Priti Patel said her old boss had "the mandate to deliver our elected manifesto and a proven track record getting the big decisions right."
Andrew Bridgen, another Conservative lawmaker, said he might resign from the parliamentary group if Johnson returned and told Conservatives not to create a Johnson "personality cult."
Former Conservative party leader William Hague said Johnson's return would lead to a "death spiral" for the Conservatives.
If Johnson can secure enough nominations, he is likely to go head-to-head with Sunak, who quit as his chancellor of the exchequer in July, claiming that his former boss was unable to take tough decisions.
The contest to become Britain's next prime minister has been accelerated to take only a week. Under the rules, only three candidates will be able to reach the first ballot of lawmakers on Monday afternoon, with the final two put to a vote on Friday that is limited to about 170,000 signed-up members of the Conservative Party.
