Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson should return to number 10 after just six weeks away, according to Express.co.uk readers asked in a new poll. Johnson has not yet officially announced his candidacy, but has become a frontrunner in the race to become the next prime minister.
Commons leader Penny Mordaunt and ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak have confirmed that they will participate in the competition. Mr Sunak has already received enough public support to qualify, while Ms Mordaunt is said to have 23 MPs backing her.
Announcing his candidacy on Twitter on Sunday afternoon, Mr. Sunak said he can “restore our economy, unite our party and deliver for our country”, promising to deliver the 2019 manifesto with “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of government”.
Johnson is in second place with at least 56 supporters, but according to his campaign, he has reached the threshold of 100.
He has received the support of six cabinet ministers, including the defense minister Ben WallaceSecretary Simon Clarke and Minister for Transport Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
READ MORE: Boris has ‘more than 100 donors’ and will ‘win with members’
Candidates have until 2 p.m. Monday, October 24, to collect 100 nominations to participate in the leadership contest. Sir Graham Brady, head of the Conservative Backbench 1922 committee, has said the new leader will be announced Friday.
Supporter Jacob Rees-Mogg has confirmed that Mr Johnson intends to flee. The Business Secretary told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: “I’ve spoken to Boris Johnson and it’s clear he’s standing up, there’s a lot of support for him.”
An insider in Mr Johnson’s camp also claimed that “he will win with the members” if he goes up against Mr Sunak.
The Secretary of the Organizing Team’s Campaign Mr Johnson told Express.co.uk: “He will win with the members. It’s up to Rishi to make a deal now. We’ve got the numbers, it’s a matter of ticking off the spreadsheet for tomorrow, but that’s what Jacob [Rees-Mogg] could announce that Boris is standing definitively. He’s not coming out now.”
In a poll that ran from Saturday, October 22 at 11 a.m. to Sunday, October 23 at 2 p.m., Express.co.uk asked readers: “Should Boris Johnson Return as Prime Minister?”
In total, 22,531 people voted and the vast majority, 69 percent (15,554 people) answered “yes”, Mr Johnson should return.
Another 30 percent (6,801 people) said “no,” while one percent (176 people) said they didn’t know.
Hundreds comments were left under the corresponding article as readers discussed the future of Mr Johnson’s political career.
The majority of readers argued that Mr Johnson should return to his position of Prime Minister and Tory leader, with username RalphR commenting: “He should never have gone. He has to come back and finish the job.”
Username pessimisticmiss said: “Time is of the essence and we need action now to get the UK back on track. The only one who has the guts and experience to take over right away is Boris.”
While username danielsinclair1 said: “Yes, of course Boris should become Prime Minister – no one can fill his shoes, we all make mistakes, he must be forgiven.”
And username back seat voice said “Boris should come back, he’s the only one who can get us back on track.”
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Meanwhile, some readers suggested he shouldn’t have resigned, with username P23969595W writing, “He should never have been pushed out so dishonorably, the biggest voter in 30 years. He will return and he should!”
Similarly username Another voter said: “Of course he should run, he should never have been impeached in the first place. He was the choice of the country, he is respected on the world stage. Come on Boris, we need you.’
However, many MPs were critical of Johnson’s potential comeback, with Sir Roger Gale saying he would resign. The MP for North Thanet told Times Radio: “We must remember that Mr Johnson is still under investigation by the Privileges Committee for possible deception of the House. Until that investigation is completed and he is found guilty or acquitted, there should be no possibility of him returning to government.”
Similarly, Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday on Sunday: “Boris would be a guaranteed disaster. There will be a vote in the House of Commons on this issue of privileges, whether he has deliberately misled the House. vote, it is guaranteed that there will be a large number of Conservatives who, as they see it, will refuse to give up their integrity to save him, and at that point his premiership will collapse.”