Boris Johnson dramatically dropped out of the race to become Britain’s next prime minister on Sunday night, clearing the way for Rishi Sunak to be crowned on Monday.
Mr Johnson admitted he cannot unite the warring Tory Party and had “reached out” to leadership rivals Mr Sunak and Penny Mordaunt to see if they could work together in the national interest, but it had not proved possible.
Despite claiming he had the support of more than 100 Conservative MPs required to do so, Mr Johnson said: “You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.”
The former PM added: “I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow.
“There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.
“But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.”
Earlier Mr Johnson was dealt a double blow as former home secretary Suella Braverman backed Mr Sunak and Ms Mordaunt turned down his deal.
Mr Johnson said the failure to reach a deal with Mr Sunak and Ms Mordaunt left him “afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds”.
He added: “I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time.”
Mr Johnson’s supporters had downplayed suggestions he was lagging behind his former chancellor in public support from Tory MPs to get on Monday’s ballot paper.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris sent a Whatsapp message to supporters telling them: “OK everyone! Some very good news! Thanks to all your hard work I can confirm we have completed all the paperwork (verified all nominations, with proposer and seconder) to be on the ballot tomorrow.”
Ms Braverman is seen as a valuable backer for Sunak from the Tory right.
“I have backed Boris from the start,” she wrote in the Telegraph.
“But we are in dire straits now. We need unity, stability and efficiency. Rishi is the only candidate that fits the bill and I am proud to support him.”
Mr Sunak formally entered the race on Sunday promising he would lead with “integrity, professionalism and accountability” in an apparent attempt to contrast himself with his predecessor.
Other MPs said Johnson’s comeback would be a “guaranteed disaster”.
Ms Mordaunt described as “completely false” reports she has offered Mr Johnson support in exchange for a prominent position.
Sources close the Commons leader disclosed that the former prime minister did ask her to stand aside and join his campaign.
She refused, telling him that most of her support would switch to Mr Sunak if she did.
The disclosure heighten suspicions at Westminster that Johnson is struggling to attract the level of support from fellow Tory MPs he hopes for.
Speaking to the BBC, Mordaunt insisted she was “in it to win it” and wasn’t “contemplating how the other camps are organising themselves”.
Ms Mordaunt was the first MP to declared her intention to run in the race to replace Liz Truss as Conservative Party leader and prime minister.
However, only 25 MPs have publicly come out to support her, compared to Sunak’s 134 and Johnson’s 47. She needs 100 by 2pm on Monday to remain in the contest.
Sunak, becoming the second candidate to enter the race after Mordaunt, said he wants to “fix our economy, unite our party and deliver for our country” at a time of “profound economic crisis”.
He said in a statement: “I served as your chancellor, helping to steer our economy through the toughest of times.
“The challenges we face now are even greater.
“But the opportunities, if we make the right choice, are phenomenal.
“I have the track record of delivery, a clear plan to fix the biggest problems we face and I will deliver on the promise of the 2019 manifesto.
“There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done.”
On Sunday, Mr Sunak gained several more valuable backers in new Home Secretary Grant Shapps, Work and Pensions Secretary Chloe Smith and another influential figure on the Tory right – Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker.
Tory big beast Mr Shapps, who also threw his weight behind Mr Sunak in the last leadership contest against Ms Truss, tweeted that the ex-chancellor would “provide stability and proven economic competence in these challenging times”.
Baker, the former head of backbench Brexiteers, was scathing in his assessment of a potential comeback by Mr Johnson.
Conservative former cabinet minister Dominic Raab also warned that the partygate probe would overshadow a Johnson premiership.
