Boris Johnson expected to enter contest to replace British Prime Minister Liz Truss: Report

Johnson was forced to resign as prime minister earlier this year over allegations of Covid-19 lockdown violations, after which Liz Truss took over.

Boris Johnson was forced to resign as UK Prime Minister over allegations of Covid-19 lockdown violations (File)

By India Today Web DeskFormer British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is likely to enter the competition to elect a Conservative Party leader to replace Liz Truss, who resigned tonight, Reuters news agency said, citing a Times report. Johnson was forced to resign as prime minister earlier this year over allegations of Covid-19 lockdown violations, after which Liz Truss took over.

“He takes polls but would believe it’s a matter of national importance,” The Times political editor Steven Swinford said on Twitter.

British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned on Thursday, bringing an end to a controversial government amid the fallout from her ambitious tax cut policies.

“I recognize that given the situation, I cannot fulfill the mandate to which I have been elected. I have spoken to King Charles to inform him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party,” Truss said.

In an effort to survive the political crisis, Truss had torn up the mini-budget that was fueling turmoil in the financial markets and replaced Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor with conservative leader Jeremy Hunt. Government borrowing costs rose and the pound fell further after her press conference announcing the changes.

Also read | ‘Unable to deliver mandate’, says Liz Truss after resigning as British Prime Minister