Boris Johnson news – live: Ex-PM ‘booed’ on flight back to UK to join Tory leadership race

Boris Johnson is making a hurried return to London from his Carribean holiday, jumping at the chance to make a comeback to Downing Street as prime minister.

The former prime minister is widely expected to enter the Tory leadership race to replace Liz Truss upon his return to the UK, having told his former trade minister Sir James Duddridge that “we are going to do this”.

Mr Johnson was booed by at least a couple of fellow passengers on his flight to the UK, according to Sky News journalist Mark Stone, while other passengers looked “bewildered” by his presence in economy class.

Earlier, a former Bank of England deputy governor warned that Mr Johnson’s return to No 10 could send jitters through financial markets, with even the possibility of another Johnson premiership sending borrowing costs rising.

It comes as Rishi Sunak became the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100 MP threshold to make it to the ballot of Conservative members, a campaign source said. Penny Mordaunt – the only runner to confirm her candidacy so far – is said to have around 30 backers.

Key points

• Boris Johnson tells allies: ‘I’m up for it'

• Ben Wallace ‘leaning towards’ being third Cabinet minister to back Johnson

• Johnson’s return to No 10 could alarm markets, says ex-Bank of England official

• British public want general election, poll suggests

Two Tory MPs who quit Boris Johnson’s government now back his return

06:43 , Arpan Rai

Two Tory MPs who resigned in protest from Boris Johnson’s government in July have now backed him to make a return as prime minister.

Dr Caroline Johnson, MP for Sleaford, and Jonathan Gullis, the MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, quit their governmental roles within two days of one another as part of a mass rebellion which eventually saw Mr Johnson bring an embittered end to a premiership beset by controversy and scandal.

It is claimed that Mr Johnson has been privately urging MPs to back him, saying he is the only candidate able to save them from electoral wipeout – and the endorsement of two former government abandonees has the potential to catalyse Mr Johnson’s second advance on No 10.

Read the full report here:

Two Tory MPs who resigned in protest from Boris Johnson’s government back his return

General Election Now: More than 350,000 sign The Independent’s petition

06:05 , Arpan Rai

The Independent’s petition calling for a general election to be held in the UK after the recent chaotic political events at No 10 has now received more than 350,000 votes as of a few minutes ago.

Liz Truss quit as prime minister after just 45 days in office. She had no mandate for her abrupt changes of policy when she took charge – except from 81,000 Conservative Party members, a tiny and unrepresentative section of the population. Nor did she have any authority for her U-turns, repeatedly changing the government’s fundamental stance on taxes and public spending.

As she chose to leave the prime ministerial office, Ms Truss said a new prime minister would be chosen within a week. We at The Independent believe this is unacceptable. Who is leading our country should be decided in a general election, not in the strange bubble of yet another Conservative leadership election.

Sign the petition here:

Election Now: The Independent launches petition calling for a general election

Boris Johnson return would alarm markets, former bank chief warns

05:39 , Arpan Rai

The return of Boris Johnson could send jitters in financial markets, a former Bank of England deputy governor is warning – with even just the possibility seeing borrowing costs begin to rise.

Charlie Bean said there would be “concern” that the extraordinary re-election of the former prime minister – tipped to have the backing of more than 100 Tory MPs – would bring fresh disarray to Downing Street.

Asked if it might “spook” the markets, he said: “There might be some concern about whether this was going to be a stable government again, given the instability that we had at the end of Johnson’s term as prime minister.

Read the full story here:

Boris Johnson return would alarm markets, former Bank of England chief warns

Who is Suella Braverman, contesting the PM race?

05:23 , Arpan Rai

Suella Braverman, 42, resigned as home secretary on Wednesday this week, with a scathing letter criticising Liz Truss’s “tumultuous” premiership. Her move kicked off a chaotic 24 hours in British politics that ended in Truss’s resignation.

During her short tenure as home secretary, Braverman vowed to crack down hard on asylum seekers, saying it was her “dream” to see a flight deporting those seeking refuge in Britain to Rwanda. She also wanted to pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human rights.

Braverman is a former barrister who became attorney general in 2020, and was the first to put her hat in the ring during this summer’s leadership race to replace Boris Johnson.

She made headlines — and was mocked by opponents — when she complained recently in Parliament that travel disruptions caused by trade union strikes were to be blamed on left-wing, “tofu-eating wokerati”.

Read more about Braverman and her leadership race here:

All we know about Suella Braverman - ex Home Secretary who lasted 44 days in the job

Today’s paper: Johnson and Sunak lead race as unity hopes fade

04:55 , Arpan Rai

Hopes of a unity candidate to bring the Tory party together have faded as the race to replace Liz Truss becomes a fight between Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson.

Penny Mordaunt became the first to publicly declare her candidacy in a bid to inject momentum into her campaign. But most MP endorsements have so far gone to Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson, with each set to meet the 100-nomination threshold to get to onto the ballot paper.

Boris Johnson could be gone by Christmas if he returns - Conservative sources

04:50 , Arpan Rai

Conservative sources have told ITV News that even if Boris Johnson returns to No 10 he could be “gone by Christmas” as a result of “damning new evidence” into Partygate being reviewed by Ms Harman.

“The fact he is standing at all whilst under investigation is shameful. It’s hardly the stability and unity everyone is calling for,” the source told the broadcaster.

The investigation into Mr Johnson’s role began in the wake of the closure of the Metropolitan Police’s own inquiry into the string of lockdown-breaching gatherings held in No 10 during the Covid pandemic, as well as the publication of the Sue Gray report.

Here’s a look at what laws Boris Johnson broke in Partygate:

What laws did Boris Johnson break?

How will the inquiry into whether Boris Johnson misled MPs over Partygate work?

04:39 , Arpan Rai

Boris Johnson is set to face a grilling by the committee investigating whether he lied to the House of Commons on a series of parties held in Downing Street during the pandemic.

The probe was formally launched in June this year by the senior Labour MP and investigation chair Harriet Harman, who confirmed at the same time that Mr Johnson would not face the scrutiny of the committee until the autumn.

It comes as the former Tory leader flies home from a Caribbean holiday and “takes soundings” about a potential leadership bid to replace Liz Truss, who resigned on Thursday.

Mr Johnson is thought to be privately urging MPs to back him, saying he is the only candidate able to save them from electoral wipeout.

Read the full story here:

How will the inquiry into whether Boris Johnson misled MPs over Partygate work?

Boris Johnson cuts short Carribean holiday for PM race: ‘Up for it’

04:28 , Arpan Rai

Boris Johnson is reportedly flying to the UK from his Caribbean holiday as he has jumped at the chance for making a comeback at No 10 and told an ally that he is “up for it”.

The former PM has told trade minister Sir James Duddridge that “we are going to do this”.

Mr Johnson will land back in Britain on Saturday and will fight in the leadership race to replace Liz Truss as Conservative leader.

Tories fear party split if Boris Johnson returns

04:21 , Arpan Rai

Conservative MPs are issuing a clear warning that the party could disintegrate if Boris Johnson makes a comeback as leader in the dramatic escalation of events at No 10 with Liz Truss’s exit.

After six weeks of turmoil culminating in her sacking her chancellor and home secretary within days of one another, Ms Truss conceded that she could not “deliver the mandate” on which she was elected.

Read the full story here:

Tories fear party split if Boris Johnson returns after dramatic Liz Truss resignation

ICYMI: Who is backing whom in Tory leadership race?

02:00 , Aisha Rimi

Candidates in the race to succeed Liz Truss prime minister have until Monday to collect nominations from 100 MPs to get onto the ballot paper.

Only Penny Mordaunt has formally announced a leadership bid, but it is believed that alongside Boris Johnson, former chancellor Rishi Sunak and former home secretary Suella Braverman are considering throwing their hats into the ring.

Here’s the full list of who is supporting whom:

Boris Johnson “booed” at on flight back to the UK

01:30 , Aisha Rimi

Boris Johnson is set to arrive in London on Saturday morning, returning from his holiday in the Dominican Republic.

Sky News’ Mark Stone reported that Mr Johnson was met with “one or two boos” as he boarded the flight with his family.

The former prime minister informed an ally earlier yesterday afternoon that he was “up for” running in the leadership race, but is yet to formally enter the race.

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris backs Boris Johnson

01:03 , Aisha Rimi

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris tweeted his support for Boris Johnson, saying: “We need a leader with a proven track record of delivery, the resilience to lead our country, a mandate from the British people and the ability to defeat Keir Starmer.

“That’s why I’m backing BorisJohnson to finish the job he started in 2019.”

Lib Dem leader calls for a general election

Saturday 22 October 2022 00:28 , Aisha Rimi

Liberal Democrats leader Ed Davey has called for a general election, saying the Tories need to be “out of power”.

He tweeted: “We don’t need another Conservative Prime Minister lurching from crisis to crisis. We need a General Election now and the Conservatives out of power.

He later added: “Just months ago Conservative MPs said Boris Johnson wasn’t fit to run the country. Now many are flocking to put this liar and lawbreaker back in Number 10. It is an insult to the British people who are being denied a say in this stitch up.”

Boris Johnson’s return could send Tory party into ‘death spiral’, says William Hague

Saturday 22 October 2022 00:00 , Emily Atkinson

William Hague has said Boris Johnson’s return as prime minister would send the Tory party into a “death spiral”.

Speaking to Times Radio on Friday evening, the Tory peer and former Cabinet minister said it was “the worst idea I’ve heard of in the 46 years I’ve been a member of the Conservative Party.”

He said: “I think it’d be a very, very bad idea to bring Boris Johnson back.

“The Conservative Party was doing pretty well until about 18 months ago as the government considered all the problems facing the country. And then things have unravelled spectacularly, including with this disastrous, latest six weeks.

“And this all started, this unravelling, because Boris Johnson was unable to run the government in the right way, to keep it together in the right way, to uphold the high standards of conduct that are necessary in the highest offices in the land. That’s how it all started.

“Him returning is the solution? That would be going round in circles and that could become a death spiral of the Conservative Party. And I think it’s possibly the worst idea I’ve heard of in the 46 years, I’ve been a member of the Conservative Party.

“There are good candidates. Obviously, as you probably recall, I was supported Rishi Sunak before and I will, very loudly, support him again, and he will be the best prime minister, particularly in this situation.”

Where did Liz Truss go wrong?

Friday 21 October 2022 23:45 , Aisha Rimi

Sign up to The Independent’s free virtual panel event discussing the latest twists and turns surrounding the UK’s economy and political landscape:

Where did Liz Truss go wrong? Sign up for our online panel discussion

‘Boris shouldn’t have gone’, says Tory MP Peter Bone

Friday 21 October 2022 23:30 , Emily Atkinson

“Boris shouldn’t have gone, I think he was an absolutely outstanding prime minister,” Tory MP Peter Bone has said.

Speaking on Channel 4 News this evening, he claimed that in his constituency of Wellingborough “all the emails coming to me from Conservative supporters ‘want Boris back’.”

He continued: “While I wondered around the town today, people were coming up saying ‘bring back Boris.’ The people who were against him coming back were Labour supporters.”

Mr Bone went on to insist there was a “groundswell” of support for the former prime minister among Tory voters and party members.

Watch: Ian Blackford says 'there is no acceptable Tory leader' to replace Liz Truss

Friday 21 October 2022 23:00 , Emily Atkinson

Rishi Sunak ‘first Tory leadership contender to get support of 100 MPs’

Friday 21 October 2022 22:33 , Aisha Rimi

Rishi Sunak has become the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100-nomination threshold to make it to the next stage of the race, a campaign source has said.

Though he has not formally declared, the former chancellor’s supporters said on Friday night he had received nominations from 100 Tory MPs way ahead of Monday’s deadline.

Boris Johnson, who is also yet to officially throw his hat in the ring, is lagging behind with nominations but has told allies he is “up for it” and would fly back from his Caribbean holiday to enter the race.

Aisha Rimi reports:

Rishi Sunak ‘first Tory leadership contender to get support of 100 MPs’

We Need a General Election Now

Friday 21 October 2022 22:30 , Emily Atkinson

The Independent’s petition for a general election to be called in the UK after the resignation of Liz Truss has almost surpassed 350,000 signatures.

“Announcing her resignation, Ms Truss said a new prime minister would be chosen within a week. We at The Independent believe this is unacceptable,” writes our acting editor David Marley.

“This will be the third Conservative prime minister since the last general election in 2019.

“Who is leading our country should be decided in a general election, not in the strange bubble of yet another Conservative leadership election.”

To have your say, click the link below.

Thank you for your support.

Sign the Petition

Give us a general election, say voters on the streets

Friday 21 October 2022 22:15 , Aisha Rimi

The government is facing mounting calls to hold a general election after Liz Truss resigned following 45 days in Downing Street.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has demanded a general election “now”, with Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon following suit, saying it is a “democratic imperative” after Ms Truss’s dramatic resignation.

But what do British voters think? The Independent has gone out on the streets of Cambridge, held by Labour, and Mid-Sussex, one of the UK’s most solid Conservative constituencies, to find out.

Jane Dalton and Mustafa Qadri have the full story:

Give us a general election, say voters on the streets

Boris Johnson tells allies he’s ‘up for’ leadership race as he rushes back to UK

Friday 21 October 2022 22:10 , Aisha Rimi

Boris Johnson has told allies he is “up for” the Tory leadership race and is rushing back to the UK to throw his hat in the ring.

Trade minister Sir James Duddridge, a friend and backer of the ex-prime minister, said Mr Johnson would land back in Britain on Saturday from his Caribbean holiday and would enter the contest to replace Liz Truss.

He said: ”I’ve been in contact with the boss via WhatsApp. He’s going to fly back. He said, ‘I’m flying back, Dudders. We are going to do this. I’m up for it’.”

My colleague Jane Dalton reports:

Boris Johnson tells allies he’s ‘up for’ leadership race as he rushes back to UK

BREAKING: Rishi Sunak crosses the 100 MP threshold

Friday 21 October 2022 22:03 , Aisha Rimi

Rishi Sunak has reached the 100-nomination threshold to make it to the next stage of the Tory leadership contest, a campaign source has said.

Matt Hancock backs Rishi Sunak

Friday 21 October 2022 21:58 , Aisha Rimi

Former Health secretary Matt Hancock is backing Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership race.

He tweeted: “ I have worked incredibly closely with Boris, Rishi & Penny in Government. I admire all three With the challenges we face today: economic crisis & the need to restore authoritative leadership, Rishi Sunak is the best person to lead our country I’m voting Rishi & hope you do too .”

Mr Sunak has not yet publicly declared if he is running in the leadership race.

Oliver Dowden expresses his support for Rishi Sunak

Friday 21 October 2022 21:45 , Aisha Rimi

The former cabinet minister and party chairman tweeted that Rishi Sunak is “clearly the best person” to lead the Tory party.

He wrote: “Rishi Sunak is clearly the best person to lead our country through these difficult and turbulent times. That’s why I’m supporting him to be Leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister.”

‘Get Boris Johnson back’: True blue Bakewell weighs up former PM’s return

Friday 21 October 2022 21:30 , Emily Atkinson

Every day, Kevin Crowder has people talking to him about politics. He’s a barber in the Derbyshire town of Bakewell. Often, he says, his clients will sit and put the world to rights as he clips their tops.

“Do you know what I say back to them?” he asks today. “I agree. Whatever they’re saying, I smile and nod. That’s the secret to this job. You always sit on the fence.”

What has he been ‘agreeing’ with for the last 24 hours?

“Well,” comes the reply. “People want Boris back.”

Colin Drury reports from Bakewell, Derbyshire:

‘Get Boris back’: True blue Bakewell weighs up a Johnson return

Johnson comeback would alarm markets, ex-Bank chief warns

Friday 21 October 2022 21:00 , Emily Atkinson

The return of Boris Johnson would worry financial markets, a former Bank of England deputy governor is warning – even as borrowing costs begin to rise as the prospect looms.

Charlie Bean predicted “concern” that the extraordinary re-election of the former prime minister – tipped to have the backing of more than 100 Tory MPs – would bring fresh disarray to Downing Street.

Asked if it might “spook” the markets, he said: “There might be some concern about whether this was going to be a stable government again, given the instability that we had at the end of Johnson’s term as prime minister.

Rob Merrick reports:

Boris Johnson return would alarm markets, former Bank of England chief warns

YouGov poll suggests Tories would win zero seats at next election

Friday 21 October 2022 20:30 , Aisha Rimi

The survey shows 56 per cent of voters would vote Labour and 19 per cent would vote Conservative if there were an election tomorrow.

Boris Johnson: ‘I’m up for it'

Friday 21 October 2022 20:17 , Katy Clifton

Boris Johnson has said he is “up for it” and will fly back to the UK from his Caribbean holiday to attempt an extraordinary comeback as prime minister, an ally has said.

Trade minister Sir James Duddridge said the man who stood down six weeks ago after being ousted by his own cabinet following a series of scandals has told him “we are going to do this”.

The Tory MP said Mr Johnson will land back in Britain on Saturday and will challenge to replace Liz Truss as Conservative leader.

But the development will not be welcomed by all Tories, with former leader Lord William Hague warning Mr Johnson’s resurrection would lead to a “death spiral” for the party.

Sir James, who served as one of Mr Johnson’s parliamentary private secretaries at No 10, told the PA news agency: “I’ve been in contact with the boss via WhatsApp.

“He’s going to fly back. He said, ‘I’m flying back, Dudders. We are going to do this. I’m up for it’.”

MP fears a ‘partygate part two’ if Boris Johnson returns as PM

Friday 21 October 2022 20:10 , Aisha Rimi

Speaking to Sky News, Jo Gideon, MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central, said: “My fear is that we’ll end up with partygate part two if Boris Johnson comes back.”

The former Prime Minister could be suspended as an MP if the investigation by the Privileges Committee reveals that he lied to parliament about the Downing Street lockdown parties.

Ms Gideon has backed Rishi Sunak for the Tory leadership race, calling him the “only credible candidate that can command the confidence of the parliamentary party and the country”.

Who is backing whom in Tory leadership race?

Friday 21 October 2022 19:48 , Aisha Rimi

Candidates in the race to succeed Liz Truss prime minister have until Monday to collect nominations from 100 MPs to get onto the ballot paper.

Only Penny Mordaunt has formally announced a leadership bid, but it is believed that alongside Boris Johnson, former chancellor Rishi Sunak and former home secretary Suella Braverman are considering throwing their hats into the ring.

Here’s the full list of who is supporting whom:

Who is backing whom in Tory leadership race?

Fifth cabinet minister expresses support for Boris Johnson in leadership race

Friday 21 October 2022 19:30 , Aisha Rimi

Transport secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has become the fifth cabinet minister to support Boris Johnson.

She tweeted that he “already has a mandate” and believes he can “deliver for the country”.

Tory members must have their say on next leader, says Jacob Rees-Mogg

Friday 21 October 2022 19:17 , Aisha Rimi

Tory party members should have their say on the next leader, says business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg.

Speaking to this weekend’s edition of Chopper’s Politics podcast, Mr Rees-Mogg said: “I’m always in favour of the members deciding the leadership – I think that’s the right place for it to go.

“And I think the 1922 Committee and the Board of the Tory Party have done really well to get it to a position where that can be done swiftly. I’m in favour of it going to the membership.”

Earlier today, he announced his support for Boris Johnson to return as Prime Minister.

He added: “Boris Johnson provides the best chance of a road recovery for the Conservative Party.

“The Tory party has to unite. We have been too divided. And it’s striking that when Boris Johnson took over in 2019, we had been 30 per cent behind in the polls.

“Shortly after he leaves, we’re back to being 30 per cent behind in the polls. I think he is the only realistic prospect who can unite the party and has a well-shown election-winning record.”

While Mr Johnson has not officially declared he will run in the Tory leadership race, Sir James Duddridge, one of his allies, has reportedly spoken with the former Prime Minister, who said he was “up for it” and told him: “I’m going to do it, Dudders!”

Tory MPs who resigned from Boris Johnson’s government back him to return as PM

Friday 21 October 2022 18:45 , Aisha Rimi

Two Tory MPs who resigned in protest from Boris Johnson’s government in July have now backed him to make a return as prime minister, reports Emily Atkinson.

Reports suggest that the former Tory leader is flying home from a Caribbean holiday and “taking soundings” about a potential leadership bid, for which he needs the support of 100 Conservative MPs.

It is claimed he has been privately urging MPs to back him, saying he is the only candidate able to save them from electoral wipeout – and the endorsement of two former government abandonees has the potential to catalyse Mr Johnson’s second advance on No 10.

Read the full story:

Two Tory MPs who resigned in protest from Boris Johnson’s government back his return

Watch: Keir Starmer says Liz Truss 'hasn't earnt' £115,000-a-year allowance

Friday 21 October 2022 18:35 , Aisha Rimi

Tory hopes of unity leader fade as Sunak and Johnson square up

Friday 21 October 2022 18:22 , Aisha Rimi

Tory hopes of a unity leadership candidate to bring the riven party together were this evening fading, as the race to replace Liz Truss shaped up as a no-holds-barred fight between bitter rivals Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson, reports Andrew Woodcock.

Penny Mordaunt, third-placed in the summer’s leadership contest, became the first to publicly declare her candidacy, in a bid to inject momentum into what appeared to be a faltering bid for the top job.

But the bulk of MP endorsements were going to Sunak and Johnson, with both looking set to meet the 100-nomination threshold to get onto the ballot paper.

Read the full story:

Tory hopes of unity leader fade as Sunak and Johnson square up

Pound hits lowest level this week amid political uncertainty

Friday 21 October 2022 18:12 , Aisha Rimi

The pound has slid to its lowest level this week as downbeat economic data and the prospect of political uncertainty increased nervousness in the financial markets, reports Henry Saker-Clark.

Sterling fell by 1.16 per cent to 1.110 against the US dollar on Friday morning. The pound was also down 0.64 per cent at 1.14 against the euro.

However, by the end of the day it had managed to claw back its losses and was back up by 0.56% against the dollar to 1.1298.

Read the full story:

Pound hits lowest level this week amid political uncertainty

Tory MP is ‘incredibly optimistic’ Penny Mourdant will get 100 MP nominations

Friday 21 October 2022 18:02 , Aisha Rimi

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.”

Cop26 president Alok Sharma backs Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership race

Friday 21 October 2022 17:50 , Aisha Rimi

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.”

Former minister Johnny Mercer backs Rishi Sunak in the Tory leadership race

Friday 21 October 2022 17:40 , Aisha Rimi

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 friend of mine, I love him to bits, he’s a great guy, but I just don’t think I can put myself through that again. I don’t think I can ask my constituents to, I don’t think I can ask my staff.

“I love Boris to bits and he’s got amazing qualities for this country but it is now time for serious, competent, straightforward and values-based governance.

“It’s been a pretty terrible time throughout January/February, he had 60 ministers resign, 140 MPs voted against him.”

On Rishi Sunak, Mr Mercer said: “I don’t accept he knifed Boris Johnson.”

Sign The Independent’s petition calling for a general election

Friday 21 October 2022 17:26 , Aisha Rimi

The Independent has launched a petition calling for a general election to be held in the UK following the unprecedented chaos caused by recent political events.

We at The Independent believe the leader of the country should be decided in a general election, not in the strange bubble of yet another Conservative leadership election.

Sign the petition:

Sign the Petition

Sajid Javid backs Rishi Sunak in bid to become PM

Friday 21 October 2022 17:16 , Aisha Rimi

Former cabinet minister Sajid Javid has backed Rishi Sunak for the Tory leadership, saying the ex-chancellor has the “values our party needs” to help them “move on from the mistakes of the past”.

Mr Javid tweeted: “It is abundantly clear that Rishi Sunak has what it takes to match the challenges we face - he is the right person to lead our party and take the country forward.

“The only way for our party to reclaim our values and recover our reputation for stewardship is to move on from the mistakes of the past and come together to focus on the future.”

Several Tory MPs declare their support for Penny Mourdant

Friday 21 October 2022 17:03 , Aisha Rimi

Neil Hudson, MP for Penrith and The Border, tweeted: “I am backing Penny Mordaunt to be Prime Minister as I believe she has the leadership attributes, experience, empathy and compassion to unite our country and lead us through these challenging times.”

Nicola Richards, MP for West Bromwich East, said she believes Ms Mordaunt will be the “stabilising, calm and collected figure” needed to “see us through the turbulent times ahead”.

Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire, Bob Seely, MP for the Isle of Wight, and Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport, also expressed their support.

Cabinet Office minister Chris Philp said he would back Rishi Sunak.

Mr Philp, who was moved from his old post as chief secretary to the Treasury last week in the wake of mini-budget turmoil, said he hopes the Tory party “unites around whoever wins, in the national interest”.

Majority of voters unhappy for Johnson to return to No 10, poll suggests

Friday 21 October 2022 16:54 , Andy Gregory

A majority of voters would be unhappy for Boris Johnson to replace Liz Truss, new polling suggests.

YouGov found that 52 per cent of voters would be unhappy if he returned to No 10, compared to 27 per cent who would be happy.

In a reference to the looming Commons investigation, which could see him face a by-election, seven in 10 voters believe that the ex-PM knowingly lied to parliament over Partygate – compared with just 15 per cent who think he did not.

Could Boris Johnson become prime minister again?

Friday 21 October 2022 16:39 , Andy Gregory

Just a few months ago Boris Johnson stood outside Downing Street to announce he would be leaving Number 10 – telling the nation “them’s the breaks”. But now, in an extraordinary turn of events, he could be back.

Our chief reporter Simon Murphy looks at whether Mr Johnson is able to return as PM:

Could Boris Johnson become prime minister again?

Mordaunt ‘vows Hunt would stay on as chancellor'

Friday 21 October 2022 16:28 , Andy Gregory

Penny Mordaunt has reportedly held talks with Jeremy Hunt and assured him he can stay on as chancellor if she becomes prime minister.

A source close to the Commons leader told the Press Association news agency that she had also assured Mr Hunt she would deliver the medium-term fiscal plan as proposed on 31 October.

Andrea Leadsom backs Penny Mordaunt for PM

Friday 21 October 2022 16:16 , Andy Gregory

Former cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom has backed Penny Mordaunt to be the new Tory leader, citing her “compassion” and “determination”.

Mordaunt has backing of just 17 Tory MPs as she officially throws her hat in ring

Friday 21 October 2022 16:06 , Andy Gregory

Despite having only just officially announced her willingness to replace Liz Truss in No 10 – and being so far the only potential candidate to do so – Penny Mordaunt appears to already be struggling to stay in the race.

The former defence secretary is known to have the backing of just 17 Tory MPs – considerably fewer than the 47 for Boris Johnson and 77 for Rishi Sunak, according to a tally by Patrick Flynn of Smarkets.

The latest of those to back Mr Sunak is reportedly paymaster general Chris Philp.

Rob Merrick has more details on Ms Mordaunt’s announcement here:

Penny Mordaunt enters Tory leadership race promising ‘fresh start’ for party

Boris Johnson return would alarm markets, former Bank of England chief warns

Friday 21 October 2022 15:53 , Andy Gregory

The return of Boris Johnson would worry financial markets, a former Bank of England deputy governor has warned.

Speaking as borrowing costs begin to rise while the prospect loomed larger, Charlie Bean said: “There might be some concern about whether this was going to be a stable government again, given the instability that we had at the end of Johnson’s term as prime minister.

“I think market participants might be concerned that, even if the fiscal statement coming up imminently goes off ok, there might be issues further down the road.”

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has the full report:

Boris Johnson return would alarm markets, former Bank of England chief warns

Penny Mordaunt becomes first to officially enter Tory leadership race

Friday 21 October 2022 15:43 , Andy Gregory

Penny Mordaunt has confirmed that she is running to replace Liz Truss as prime minister.

“I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest,” said the former minister, who came third in the Tory leadership contest three months ago.

Backing Truss was a ‘mistake’, says Tory MP now supporting Sunak

Friday 21 October 2022 15:17 , Andy Gregory

Tory MP Nigel Mills said it was a “mistake” for him not to back Rishi Sunak during the summer’s leadership contest, as he said the ex-chancellor was “clearly the prime minister we need to restore stability and tackle the many serious challenges facing the country”.

Suspension of Truss aide ended after investigation

Friday 21 October 2022 15:09 , PA

The suspension of one of Liz Truss’s senior aides has ended after an investigation into a hostile briefing against Sajid Javid, Downing Street has said.

Jason Stein had been suspended pending a probe by the Cabinet Office propriety and ethics team into a briefing by a No 10 source who described former cabinet minister Mr Javid as “s***”.

“The investigation has concluded and the suspension has ended,” a No 10 press secretary said.

Voters prefer Sunak to Johnson and Mordaunt – but Starmer is ‘best PM’ by large stretch, polling finds

Friday 21 October 2022 14:52 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak is the public’s preferred candidate were he to end up on a ballot against either Boris Johnson or Penny Mordaunt, new polling suggests.

In a run-off with his former boss, the ex-chancellor is the favourite by 44 to 31 per cent. Mr Sunak also wins in a head-to-head with the leader of the Commons by 45 to 23 per cent, Opinium found in their overnight survey.

However, polling by the same firm earlier this week found that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer beats Mr Johnson on the question of who would be the best prime minister by 43 to 30 per cent, and Mr Sunak by the same margin, as well as Ms Mordaunt by 42 to 21 per cent.

Carer’s Leave Bill passes second reading

Friday 21 October 2022 14:50 , Jane Dalton

A new Bill giving unpaid carers up to one week of unpaid leave has passed its second reading in the Commons.

MP Wendy Chamberlain, sponsor of the Carer’s Leave Bill said: “This is a landmark day for carers around the UK, marking the first step to secure employment rights designed to help people care and work.

“Unpaid carers are the backbone of society and we must do all we can to support them.”

The legislation will be scrutinised at committee stage next.

Nominations for next PM open, Tory party chair says

Friday 21 October 2022 14:39 , Andy Gregory

Tory party chair Jake Berry announced at midday that nominations were open in the race to replace Liz Truss.

Conservative MPs will be able to sumbit their choices until 2pm on Monday, after which point they will vote on any candidates who receive more than 100 nominations, with the first ballot concluding at 5:30pm the same day.

Watch: Choice is revolving door of chaos or Labour stability, says Starmer

Friday 21 October 2022 14:35 , Jane Dalton

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has vowed he would set out a clear plan with costings to bring in stability rather than continue with the Conservatives’ “revolving door with more chaos” as the Tories “experimented” with leaders.

“The contrast really is this: carry on with this utter chaos or have stability under a Labour government,” he said.

Sunak ‘won all exchanges’ during summer hustings against Truss, says ex-minister

Friday 21 October 2022 14:25 , Andy Gregory

Former environment secretary George Eustice, who has publicly backed Rishi Sunak for the leadership, has said he believed the ex-chancellor “won in all of the exchanges that took place in hustings” against Liz Truss.

“As far as I can see, he had the biggest base of support within the parliamentary party, and we really need someone now who can unite the party, pull it together, but crucially, who’s got the judgment to be a good prime minister to get those key decisions right, so that we can deal with some of the great challenges that the world faces,” he said.

Second cabinet minister backs Johnson

Friday 21 October 2022 14:17 , Jane Dalton

Levelling-Up secretary Simon Clarke has become the second cabinet minister to back Boris Johnson.

“Teesside has had difficult times and is now levelling up because of @BorisJohnson,” he tweeted.

The comeback will be “greater than the setback”, he declared.

Defence secretary Ben Wallace says he is “leaning towards” Mr Johnson as his preferred candidate.

Airline hired by UK to remove refugees to Rwanda pulls out of scheme

Friday 21 October 2022 14:16 , Jane Dalton

Privilege Style, the charter airline hired by the UK government to remove asylum seekers to Rwanda, has pulled out of the scheme following a wave of public pressure.

My colleague Holly Bancroft has more details:

Airline hired by UK to remove refugees to Rwanda pulls out of scheme

Choosing Boris Johnson would be ‘absolutely catastrophic’, minister warns colleagues

Friday 21 October 2022 14:02 , Andy Gregory

In a strong rebuttal to colleagues considering choosing Boris Johnson to replace Liz Truss, Foreign Office minister Jesse Norman has warned that doing so would be “absolutely catastrophic”.

Pound falls and cost of borrowing rises

Friday 21 October 2022 13:53 , Andy Gregory

After a strong Thursday in the wake of Liz Truss’s resignation, the pound has slid to its lowest level this week in the wake of gloomy economic data and the prospect of political uncertainty.

Sterling fell by 1.16 per cent to $1.11 this morning and was also down 0.64 per cent against the euro. Meanwhile, the cost of government borrowing increased as gilt yields rose by around 2 per cent to 4.04 per cent.

It comes after official figures this morning showed that government borrowing struck £20bn last month – a figure some £2bn higher than expected by forecasters, driven by higher debt interest as a result of rising inflation.

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics revealed that retail sales slipped by 1.4 per cent last month, which was notably worse than the 0.5 per cent decline a consensus of experts had predicted.

‘Knifeman’ tasered and arrested by armed police near Parliament

Friday 21 October 2022 13:36 , Jane Dalton

A suspected knifeman has been tasered and arrested by armed police after “behaving erractically” near Parliament. Chris Baynes reports:

‘Knifeman’ tasered and arrested by armed police near Parliament

Johnson quit No 10 because he faced devastating confidence vote, ex-minister says

Friday 21 October 2022 13:26 , Andy Gregory

A former minister under Boris Johnson has said that he resigned as prime minister because he was told that likely at least two-thirds of his own MPs were about to vote against him in a confidence vote.

Describing himself as having been “loyal to Boris to the very end”, George Eustice told Times Radio: “The reason he left wasn’t because he was tired and had had enough or he wanted to go, it was because he was on the brink of losing a vote of no confidence in a catastrophic way. The news was broken to him that probably at least two thirds of the Conservative Party’s MPs were about to vote against him in a vote of no confidence and he would have been thrown out.”

“Now the big question is, is it possible just two months later, for him to return and genuinely lead and rekindle the trust of those two thirds of Conservative MPs who are willing to vote against him as recently as two months ago?

“I mean, half of his own ministers quit his government on the final day, because they all said that they’d lost confidence in him, and I really can’t see how it’s possible for him to return.”

Ex-minister backs Rishi Sunak

Friday 21 October 2022 13:02 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson’s former environment secretary has backed Rishi Sunak to replace Liz Truss as prime minister.

“It’s Rishi Sunak, as far as I’m concerned,” George Eustice told Times Radio. “For me, the single most important thing you need in a successful prime minister is good judgment and in the years that I’ve seen Rishi, first as a junior minister and then in cabinet, I think he’s got that judgment.

“I think his judgment has been vindicated over the last few weeks because, of course, he warned against the course of action that Liz Truss finally went on and was proved correct.”

Ben Wallace ‘leaning towards’ backing Boris Johnson for PM

Friday 21 October 2022 12:52 , Andy Gregory

Ben Wallace has said he is “leaning towards” Boris Johnson as his choice to replace Liz Truss in Downing Street.

The defence secretary said he has to “recognise the issue of the mandate”, adding: “This will be potentially our third prime minister since the general election of 2019, that means we have to think about that legitimacy question that the public will be asking themselves, and also about who could win the next election.

“That's obviously important for any political party at the time,” he told broadcasters.

“So at the moment, I would lean towards Boris Johnson. I think he will still have some questions to answer around, obviously, that investigation, but I know when I was secretary of state for defence, he invested in defence, he supported me, he supported the actions this country has taken to keep us safe."

Wallace rules himself out of leadership race

Friday 21 October 2022 12:36 , Andy Gregory

Ben Wallace has ruled himself out of the Conservative Party leadership race, after doing the same three months ago.

There was previously some suggestion that the defence secretary could be among a handful of potential “unity candidates” to replace Liz Truss, but most Tory MPs have today coalesced around Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more in this breaking report, which you can refresh for updates:

Defence secretary Ben Wallace rules himself out of Tory leadership race

Channel 4 News ends with Liz Truss montage set to Taylor Swift’s Blank Space

Friday 21 October 2022 12:30 , Andy Gregory

Both Channel 4 and the BBC turned to music in their reporting of Liz Truss’s resignation yesterday.

The former opted for Taylor Swift’s “Blank Space”, reported to be the ex-PM’s favourite song.

Meanwhile, Newsnight chose Rihanna’s “Take a Bow”, in an equally cutting montage.

Minister who resigned during collapse of Johnson’s premiership backs him to return

Friday 21 October 2022 12:26 , Andy Gregory

Jonathan Gullis, one of the more than 50 Tory MPs to resign during the collapse of Boris Johnson’s premiership in July, has now backed him to return to No 10 just three months later.

Now schools minister, Mr Gullis was seen as a staunch ally of Mr Johnson, and his resignation as a parliamentary private secretary in July took many by surprise.

He announced a moment ago that Mr Johnson would “have his support” if he puts himself forward for the leadership, claiming that many of his constituents have told him to “bring back Boris”.

Date of de facto Budget is for next PM to decide, No 10 says

Friday 21 October 2022 12:04 , Andy Gregory

A decision on whether to go ahead with the government’s medium-term fiscal plan on 31 October will be for the next prime minister, Downing Street has said.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is continuing to lead preparations in Whitehall for the event to go ahead at the end of the month, a No 10 spokesperson said.

“Major fiscal decisions will be for the next prime minister,” she said. “We are working in preparation for the 31st. Obviously a decision for proceeding on that will be for the next prime minister.”

Labour MP resigns after facing Commons suspension for ‘serious sexual misconduct’

Friday 21 October 2022 11:53 , Andy Gregory

Christian Matheson has resigned as a Labour MP after a parliamentary watchdog called for him to be suspended from the Commons for four weeks for “serious sexual misconduct”.

Labour had quickly suspended the whip from Mr Matheson over what it called an “incredibly serious case” and called on him to quit, after the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards upheld two allegations.

Mr Matheson denies the allegations – of a “sexually motivated” invitation to a staff member to go on a private trip abroad – but announced he is standing down.

You can refresh our breaking report below for updates:

Labour MP resigns after facing Commons suspension for ‘serious sexual misconduct’

Tories ‘admitted to no oversight’ of members ballot during leadership race

Friday 21 October 2022 11:45 , Andy Gregory

A senior Tory official has reportedly admitted that no independent body supervised the leadership ballot of its members this summer – as the party faithful appears set to choose the next prime minister again.

There was a “painfully long pause on the phone” when the question was posed to a senior Tory official, who eventually admitted “no one, there’s no independent oversight”, according to Tortoise Media director James Harding.

The outlet is seeking a judicial review of the Tory election process, after successfully enrolling a pet tortoise named Archie, two foreign nationals and Margaret Thatcher – under her maiden name Margaret Roberts – as members, able to vote.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has the full report:

Tories admitted to no ‘oversight’ of ballot when members pick new PM

UK ambassador tells China of ‘deep concern’ over alleged violence in Manchester

Friday 21 October 2022 11:25 , Andy Gregory

The UK ambassador to China has said she has spoken with Beijing’s foreign affairs ministry “to underline our deep concern” after a pro-democracy protester was allegedly beaten by staff at the country’s consulate in Manchester.

“I made clear that the right to protest and the freedom of expression in the UK are absolutely fundamental,” said Caroline Wilson.

Chinese diplomat defends grabbing Hong Kong protester’s hair in Manchester

Boris Johnson’s return would make many ‘worry’ for Tory party, says David Davis

Friday 21 October 2022 11:19 , Andy Gregory

Former cabinet minister David Davis has said that “a lot of people would be worried about the party” if Boris Johnson returns.

He told The Independent: “We want credibility in the markets. Is he going to give us that? We want the technical capability to fix the health service. Is he going to give us that? We want to draw on talent from across the party. Having appointed a very narrow cabinet, is he going to give us that?”

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more in this report:

Tories fear party split if Boris Johnson returns after dramatic Liz Truss resignation

Lib Dems launch parliamentary bid to block potential return of Boris Johnson

Friday 21 October 2022 11:13 , Andy Gregory

The Liberal Democrats have launched a bid to block Boris Johnson from becoming prime minister again – tabling a motion in parliament that seeks to stop MPs found to have broken the law while in government from getting into No 10.

“Boris Johnson is Britain’s Berlusconi. Conservative MPs are flocking to support yet another disgraced prime minister,” said Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper.

“The British public will never forget the way Boris Johnson repeatedly lied to them over his Covid lawbreaking. Partygate and the subsequent cover up proved he is unfit to govern this great country.

“From his illegal lockdown parties to his Government’s unlawful failure to protect care home residents during the pandemic, Boris Johnson’s tenure as prime minister demonstrated that he simply has no regard for rules or for the general public.

“It is time to end this Conservative party soap opera. People’s mortgage bills are spiralling out of control and local health services are at breaking point. The country deserves better than yet more Conservative chaos and incompetence.”

Sir Keir Starmer warns of ‘revolving door of chaos'

Friday 21 October 2022 11:05 , Andy Gregory

Sir Keir Starmer has warned against a “revolving door of chaos” under the Tories as he called again for a general election.

“The risk is not a general election. The risk is continuing with this chaos,” the Labour leader told reporters.

Asked if he most fears ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak as a potential successor to Liz Truss, he said: “We’ve got to get away from this idea ... the sort of revolving door of chaos, and that we just get the next experiment at the top of the Tory party.

“What matters is what happens to this country. And there’s the contrast – more of this chaos or stability under a Labour government.”

Sir Graham Brady says MPs will attend hustings ahead of first leadership vote

Friday 21 October 2022 10:42 , Andy Gregory

There will be a hustings for MPs before they begin voting in the Tory leadership contest on Monday afternoon, the 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady has said.

If there are three candidates with the required number of nominations in the first ballot, the loser will be eliminated.

Once there are two candidates remaining, an indicative vote will be held so that the party membership know which is the preferred option among MPs before they have their say.

Stanley Johnson says ‘I think I’m going to support Boris'

Friday 21 October 2022 10:37 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson’s father said he could not say whether the former prime minister was returning from his holiday early in order to seek a return to Downing Street.

Asked on Good Morning Britain if the ex-PM was returning from his trip abroad early, Stanley Johnson said: “I can’t tell you”, adding: “I think he is on a plane, as far as I understand it.”

However, in comments suggesting his son would be running for the Tory leadership again, Stanley Johnson told the programme: “I am going to listen to what the candidates have to say ... I will listen to all of them and I will say ‘OK, I think I’m going to support Boris. I am pretty sure I am going to support Boris’.

“I am just speaking now as a voter but I want to be sure that he sticks to the 2019 manifesto. I particularly want to be sure, because I am an environmentalist, that he gives a very strong promise not to proceed with [Jacob] Rees-Mogg’s absurd Bill which is coming before the House again next week.”

Nadine Dorries to stand in for Piers Morgan on TalkTV

Friday 21 October 2022 10:30 , Andy Gregory

Nadine Dorries, a staunch ally of Boris Johnson, will stand in for Piers Morgan on his TalkTV show, Uncensored, next week while the presenter is on holiday.

The Tory MP will guest host on Monday and Tuesday – the date by which many of her colleagues hope to have wrapped up the race to replace Liz Truss in Downing Street.

The former culture secretary said: “I try to avoid TV these days and I’m not one of the MPs you find running across to the cameras on the green or in and out of TV studios, but I’m excited about TalkTV and the opportunity to do this during what could turn out to be one of the most eventful weeks we have ever known in British politics.”

Liz Truss lettuce projected onto Houses of Parliament

Friday 21 October 2022 10:22 , Andy Gregory

The lettuce in a wig created by the Daily Star in a question of whether the vegetable could outlast Liz Truss in No 10 was projected onto the Houses of Parliament hours after the latter’s resignation.

‘Wave of revulsion’ in Scotland if Johnson returns to No 10, claims SNP MP

Friday 21 October 2022 10:03 , Andy Gregory

There will be a “wave of revulsion” across Scotland if Boris Johnson is returned to No 10, the SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has said.

“We’ve got a Conservative Government that is out of touch and, if I may say so, out of time,” Mr Blackford told BBC Radio Scotland. “As we are discussing this this morning there’s real concern that the Tories might want to foist Boris Johnson back onto us again – I think there will be a wave of revulsion throughout Scotland.”

He added: “You really have to think that the Conservatives have learned nothing as to what we’ve gone through and the reason why Boris Johnson had to be swept from office. We can’t continue to see parliament as a personal plaything of those on the Tory right that want to enact the policies that they’ve been doing.”

Rees-Mogg first Cabinet minister to back Boris Johnson

Friday 21 October 2022 09:57 , Andy Gregory

Campaigning for Boris Johnson to return to No 10 has begun in earnest, with business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg becoming the first Cabinet backer of Boris Johnson for the Tory leadership.

Suella Braverman to make statement on possible leadership bid ‘in due course’

Friday 21 October 2022 09:52 , Andy Gregory

Former home secretary Suella Braverman has told reporters outside her home that she will make a statement “in due course” on whether she will run for the Tory leadership.

Resigning as home secretary this week, Ms Braverman said she was doing so after breaching the ministerial code by sending a draft ministerial statement on migration to another MP from her personal email.

Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden has more on her resignation:

Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s resignation plunges Home Office into fresh chaos

How much support do Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt have?

Friday 21 October 2022 09:39 , Andy Gregory

There are multiple ongoing counts of which MPs are supporting each potential candidate in the race to replace Liz Truss.

In terms of public backing, Steven Swinford of The Times has Rishi Sunak as the clear favourite, with 44 Tory MPs supporting the ex-chancellor, compared to 26 for Boris Johnson and 16 for Penny Mordaunt.

Meanwhile, Patrick Flynn of Smarkets gives Mr Sunak a narrow lead with 38, ahead of 37 for Mr Johnson, and 15 for Penny Mordaunt.

The Guido Fawkes website, which also includes party whips and board members, places Mr Johnson in front, however, with 52 to Mr Sunak’s 47.

Boris Johnson has ‘very’ good chance of returning to No 10, former aide says

Friday 21 October 2022 09:16 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson has a “very” good chance of replacing Liz Truss and could get nearly 140 votes from Tory MPs – well above the figure of 100 set as the threshold for candidacy.

Asked how “seriously” people should take the prospect of a Johnson return, the founder of the ConservativeHome website Tim Montgomerie – who is a Johnson critic – said: “Very. I’ve changed my own opinion over the last 24 hours.

“I’m now hearing from two or three people I really respect – who are usually very good at the numbers – that he is not only likely to pass the 100 MPs’ threshold but could get close to 140.”

Once in the contest, Mr Johnson would then be in a strong position to triumph in a ballot of Tory members – many of whom loathe his likely rival, the former chancellor Rishi Sunak, he said.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more details:

Boris Johnson has ‘very’ good chance of returning to No 10, former aide says

Calls for general election and Boris Johnson’s possible return dominate front pages

Friday 21 October 2022 09:12 , Andy Gregory

This morning’s front pages, including that of The Independent’s daily edition, are heavy with calls for a general election, with Boris Johnson’s potential return also featuring widely.

In a “historic souvenir edition”, the Daily Star features a jubilant lettuce, noting that the “plucky” vegetable outlasted Ms Truss’s premiership after she “wilted in political heat”.

My colleague Liam James has assorted the front pages below:

Rishi Sunak tight-lipped as he leaves London home

Friday 21 October 2022 08:59 , Andy Gregory

Rishi Sunak did not answer questions from reporters as he left his home on Friday morning.

Boris Johnson can prevent complete electoral 'wipe-out’, claims Tory MP

Friday 21 October 2022 08:52 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson can prevent the party from being “completely wiped out” at the next general election and “unite all factions”, a Tory MP has claimed.

Put to him Mr Johnson was brought down by a mass exodus of his own ministers, Peterborough MP Paul Bristow told BBC Breakfast: “Well, that was then, this is now. We’re facing a crisis as a party. We could go down and be completely wiped out without Boris Johnson as our prime minister...

“Boris Johnson has a mandate from the members of the party and from the electorate. I’m sure my colleagues will reflect on that when they vote, and we can avoid a general election, we can go out and put this band back together, we can have political heavyweights around that Cabinet table and we can go on and win the next general election. I’m convinced of that.”

However, The Guardian’s Peter Walker suggests that Conservative MPs would potentially have to write off dozens of seats in Tory strongholds to the Liberal Democrats if they elect Mr Johnson.

Tories playing ‘pass the parcel’ with No 10, says Labour frontbencher

Friday 21 October 2022 08:46 , Andy Gregory

The Conservatives are playing “pass the parcel” with Downing Street, Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has said.

“The longer the Conservatives are in power, the less fit they are to govern. They can’t just pass around being prime minister and being chancellor like it’s some sort of game of pass the parcel,” Ms Dodds told Sky News.

“They’ve done huge damage now to our economy, to our global standing in the world, and it’s time for a general election to choose a government that can provide the stability and leadership that the country desperately needs.”

Tory MPs have ‘patriotic duty’ to call for general election, claims Lib Dem leader

Friday 21 October 2022 08:42 , Andy Gregory

Tory MPs have a “patriotic duty” to call for an early general election, Sir Ed Davey has said.

The Liberal Democrat leader told BBC Breakfast: “The Conservative Party have shown they’re unfit to govern our great country. We don’t need another Conservative prime minister lurching from crisis to crisis. We need to get rid of them...

“I think the Conservative MPs now need to do their patriotic duty and work with the opposition parties to get that general election so that British people can have their say”.

While the Tories will “probably try to cling on to power”, Sir Ed said, he said that he doubted any of the leadership candidates could unite the party, which he called “so divided”, adding: “They may try and stitch something up but I don’t think it will last.”

‘Almost all’ of Question Time audience favour general election

Friday 21 October 2022 08:39 , Andy Gregory

Asked last night whether they wanted a general election, “almost all” of the audience on BBC Question Time put up their hands.

Install new PM by Tuesday or face higher interest rates, ex-cabinet secretary warns

Friday 21 October 2022 08:35 , Andy Gregory

A former Cabinet secretary has warned that Liz Truss’s successor must be in place by Tuesday to avoid the risk of a market backlash and higher interest rates.

Liz Truss’s successor might not be known until next Friday – if party members are allowed to pick the winner – but Gus O’Donnell told BBC Radio 4 cautioned that a week-long contest could see the new PM delay the de-facto Budget planned for Halloween until after the Bank of England sets interest rates on 3 November.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has the report:

Install new PM by Tuesday or risk higher interest rates, ex-cabinet secretary warns

Boris Johnson will seek return to No 10 if he thinks he can win, ex-aide says

Friday 21 October 2022 08:31 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson’s former press secretary has suggested that the ex-PM is not eyeing a return to Downing Street because it is in “the national interest” – but because it is in “Boris’s interest”.

“The thing about Boris is that he absolutely hates to lose, and I suspect that if he doesn’t think he can get to the 100 [votes from MPs needed to join the leadership race], or more importantly he can come second in the first vote – because I think Rishi Sunak is clearly the frontrunner – then he won’t run,” Will Walden told Sky News.

“But if he does think he can, then I’m sure he will, because in his mind he’s done nothing wrong, he’s been unfairly defenestrated – whether you think that’s true or not, it doesn’t matter to Boris – and it’s not a case of the national interest, it’s a case of Boris’s interest.”

Truss ‘should turn down’ annual £115,000 payment for ex-PMs, says Starmer

Friday 21 October 2022 08:16 , Andy Gregory

Sir Keir Starmer has echoed his Liberal Democrat counterpart Sir Ed Davey by saying that Liz Truss should decline the annual payment of up to £115,000 a year she will be entitled to as a former prime minister.

The Labour leader told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “She should turn it down. I think that’s the right thing to do.

“She’s done 44 days in office, she’s not really entitled to it, she should turn it down and not take it.”

Labour doesn’t ‘want to cut public spending’, says Starmer

Friday 21 October 2022 08:12 , Andy Gregory

A Labour government would not “want to cut public spending” but would make “prudent” choices on the economy, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

“We don’t want to cut public spending,” the Labour leader told ITV’s Good Morning Britain. “We’re discussing that question because this government crashed the economy with their kamikaze mini-Budget.

“And I ran a public service for five years and I know that our public services, our NHS, I say they’re on their knees ... So we don’t want to do that but we do want to take prudent choices about the economy going forward.”

Public spending would be funded through windfall taxes on energy companies, growing the economy and by making the taxation system fairer, including abolishing non-dom tax rules and changing the charitable status for private schools, Sir Keir said.

Boris Johnson ‘not the character to restore our reputation’, Tory MP warns

Friday 21 October 2022 08:10 , Andy Gregory

Boris Johnson is not the person to restore the Tory party’s reputation, Conservative MP Crispin Blunt has warned.

“I don’t think we can go back there for the next two years,” the former minister told Sky News. “Boris Johnson has the most astonishing set of skills but there are one or two weaknesses kicking around in that personality and they were fairly brutally exposed...

“He is probably not the character to restore our reputation for the next two years because of that controversy.”

A comeback by Mr Johnson would mean the party would be “probably straight back in the pickle we were in when he left office”, Mr Blunt said, adding: “Rishi Sunak is head and shoulders rank above the rest of us in terms of his basic personal capabilities of being prime minister, and that’s why he would now be my choice.”

Labour 39 points ahead of Conservatives in new poll

Friday 21 October 2022 08:08 , Andy Gregory

Research by People Polling has found Labour to be 39 points ahead of the Conservative Party among UK voters – with Sir Keir Starmer’s party on 53 per cent and the Tories on 14.

The question of which word or phrase first comes to mind when respondents think about the Conservative government has resulted in an expletive-laden word cloud:

Of the more than 1,200 people polled, 105 used the word “shambles”, while 87 said “useless” and 77 said “incompetent”.

‘Highly debatable’ whether new leader will help Tories in next general election, polling guru says

Friday 21 October 2022 07:56 , Andy Gregory

It is “highly debatable” whether a change of leader will suffice to make the Tory party “electorally credible” in time for 2024, polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice has said.

“The history of British psephology is that, if a government gets into a fiscal crisis, it usually loses at the next general election,” said the professor of politics at Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde.

“Voters don’t forget these things. And the problem for the Conservatives is that the brand of them as a party that can run the economy, to provide the country with effective government, has now been very, very badly tarnished, and it may be very difficult to recover within the space of two years.”

He added: “Whether or not a change of leader is going to be sufficient to make the Conservatives actually electorally credible is certainly highly debatable”.

Liz Truss 'should not get yearly payment of £115,000 for ex-PMs’

Friday 21 October 2022 07:48 , Andy Gregory

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has claimed that Liz Truss should not get the allowance of up to £115,000 a year she will be entitled to as a former prime minister.

Asked if she deserves the payment, he told LBC:“No. Most people have to work at least 35 years to get a full state pension.

“I think working 45 days shouldn’t give you a pension that is many many times what ordinary people out there get after a lifetime of work.”

‘Adults are in charge’ in Australia, country’s PM jokes after Truss exit

Friday 21 October 2022 07:43 , Andy Gregory

Australia’s prime minister has reportedly joked that the “adults are in charge” in Australia, after being asked about Liz Truss’s exit from No 10.

“My government is stable, is orderly. The adults are in charge,” Anthony Albanese told reporters.

“I’ve been in office for five months. I’ve met the two British prime ministers, so far, and I obviously will have contact with a third at some time when those issues are concluded.”

Mr Albanese met Ms Truss when he visited the UK for the Queen’s funeral last month, after meeting Mr Johnson at a Nato summit in June.

Where does Partygate investigation stand as Boris Johnson eyes premiership again?

Friday 21 October 2022 07:22 , Stuti Mishra

Supporters of Boris Johnson are backing the former prime minister to make an extraordinary political comeback following the dramatic resignation of Liz Truss.

Just six weeks after he left No 10 for the final time, forced out by his own MPs after one scandal too many, allies are urging him to run again for a second shot at the Tory crown.

However, his return may not be as smooth as he might expect, with new rules now requiring the support of 100 MPs to enter the contest and a looming investigation.

The Privileges Committee is examining whether the former prime minister committed contempt of Parliament by misleading MPs over the Partygate scandal. MPs voted in April for an investigation to be opened into Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson told MPs in December 2021 that “all guidance was followed completely in No 10”, six months before Scotland Yard issued more than 100 fines, including to the then prime minister personally, for law-breaking Covid parties.

The committee is expected to sit in November and can last for around three weeks.

No rules would forbid Mr Johnson from being prime minister again, even soon after his first stint ended. Mr Johnson is also a popular figure among Tory voters - with strong celebrity status - despite losing the trust of other groups of voters.

Video: Lettuce that outlived Truss premiership makes victory speech

Friday 21 October 2022 07:05 , Stuti Mishra

The Liz Truss lettuce, set up in a viral YouTube stream by the Daily Star, “delivered” a victory speech after officially outlasting the prime minister.

Ms Truss announced her resignation as Tory party leader on 20 October, after just 45 days in office as the shortest-serving prime minister in British history.The lettuce had a shelf life of 10 days.

“After an unbeleafable campaign I am thrilled to have been crowned victorious in these chard times. However we must romaine cautious. This is just the tip of the iceberg,” a voiceover for the lettuce said.

Watch:

Click here to read the full blog on The Independent's website