Boris Johnson’s resignation opens the door to a ‘tory’ labyrinth for his replacement

Boris Johnson continues to divide the Conservative party. Not even his long-awaited resignation managed to appease the spirits of his co-supporters, some of whom hoped that his resignation would be immediate.

Johnson, in his own way, unapologetically and without blushing, said he will leave in the fall, probably in October, when his successor is chosen.

What he did not count on was the overflowing malaise within the ‘tories’ that has been contained for months, trying to defend the indefensible.

The ‘tory’ implosion began minutes after Johnson’s terse speech. An unusual fact gave him more speed.

It was the letter from former Conservative Prime Minister John Major, who governed from 1990 to 1997, and, without hesitation, he said that Johnson’s decision to remain without authority, at the helm of a weak government, “is senseless and unsustainable.”

At the time, he asked the powerful conservative 1922 Committee, which has the tools to topple a ‘premier’, that the deputy prime minister, Dominic Raab, remain in charge or that the process of choosing Johnson’s successor be accelerated.

Major’s was just one of the first voices calling for Johnson’s immediate departure. Others of his co-supporters conspired in secret or on Twitter.

That request coincides with the change of the heads of that committee that could modify the rules so that firing a ‘premier’ is easier and less dramatic.

That would imply, for example, that for a candidate to be able to stand in the race to be ‘premier’, he would have to have the support of at least 20 deputies, which will shorten the number of applicants.

Then the conservative bases would be summoned much earlier to choose between two candidates, their new leader and, therefore, the new prime minister.

The flexibility of the ‘tory’ election process also allows for surprises. Like in 2016, when Theresa May was elected. Her competitors were being eliminated and giving up until she was the only one in the competition.

‘Tories’ and Labor, points in common

The effects of the political earthquake that forced Johnson’s resignation, which leaves extraordinary facts for the collection of British politics, has shown coincidences between the parties in the House of Commons.

Both the Conservative and Labor rebels are demanding Johnson’s immediate departure.

“We think that Boris Johnson cannot stay another minute in Downing Street. He is proven unfit to govern,” Labor deputy chief Angela Rayner warned.

This situation further evidences the well-known divisions within the ‘tories’. The differences of yesteryear between pro Brexit or pro European Union seem to have changed their name. With Boris or against Boris.

But the ‘tories’ will also have to make an effort to recover the confidence of their bases thinking about the general elections, which could be in 2024.

The Johnson scandals echoed and Conservative areas for centuries began to turn Labor or Liberal Democrats.

According to pundit John Curtice, famous in the country for getting his predictions right, “the electoral challenge facing the next Conservative leader will be substantial.”

He added in the ‘Telegraph’ “that the party’s popularity and image have suffered greatly since the question of probity and the trial of Boris Johnson”.

For their part, some British newspapers, which do not hide their political positions, have also begun to distance themselves from those who were praised with adjectives for years, despite their well-known and complex relationship with the truth.

“In the end, he was his worst enemy, but Boris’s heroic legacy is assured,” wrote ‘Telegraph’ columnist Allison Pearson, who thanks him for Brexit.

While the population hopes that the new leader recovers the honorability of the position of prime minister. And that, finally, urgent matters such as the skyrocketing cost of living are the priority.

Race to succeed Johnson, who sounds?

The hopefuls began to appear when the black door of Downing Street was closed, after the resignation of Boris Johnson.

The first to raise his hand was Deputy Tom Tugendhat, head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament, who, as a member of the Armed Forces, served in the war in Afghanistan.

So did the country’s attorney general, Suella Braverman.

Of the big names or favourites, only Rishi Sunak, the former finance minister, has taken the plunge.

His candidacy until months ago would have taken him directly to the semifinals, but a fine for the ‘partygate’ and an American green card could subtract points.

It is given as a fact that several cabinet ministers will appear.

The list is headed by the Foreign Minister, Liz Truss; Defense Minister Ben Wallace, the most popular among the ‘Tories’ for his leadership in the defense of Ukraine; as well as current Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi and former Health Minister Sajid Javid.

The race is also expected to be joined by Jeremy Hunt, a former health minister, who has already participated in previous competitions, Penny Mordaunt, who is the first woman in the country’s history to be defense minister, and Eurosceptic Steve Baker.

“’Tory’ leadership races are always more like the Grand National than the Derby: crowded, unpredictable and with the favorite often not winning,” recalls James Forsyth in the ‘Spectator‘.

The list of candidates, if the rules are not changed, can be wide, but unlike in 2019 when it was known that Boris Johnson was going to be elected, now there is no certainty.

With increasing pressure from the crisis leaving the Johnson Government, choosing a new prime minister seems imperative. The process should take weeks and not months.