“There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election,” Rishi Sunak mentioned.

London:

Priti Patel, a loyalist of former British prime minister Boris Johnson, on Monday got here out in help of Rishi Sunak to take over at 10 Downing Street because the Conservative Party chief after her former boss withdrew from the management contest.

The Indian-origin former house secretary, who resigned from the Cabinet when Liz Truss was elected the Prime Minister final month, mentioned the Tories should put political variations apart to offer Sunak the very best likelihood of succeeding as the brand new chief.

Her intervention got here as the previous chancellor seems to be effectively poised because the frontrunner to make historical past as the primary Indian-origin Prime Minister of the UK, with publicly voiced help for Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt nonetheless effectively wanting the 100-MPs threshold.

“In these difficult times for our country we must unite by putting public service first and work together,” tweeted Patel.

“We care about our country and with the enormous challenges upon us we must put political differences aside to give Rishi Sunak the best chance of succeeding,” she mentioned.

It got here alongside her Diwali tweet, with photos of the senior Tory MP at a temple lighting candles.

“The Hindu Festival of Light, is an auspicious and joyous festival. It is a time for self-reflection, family, friends and service to others. I wish everyone a very blessed and happy Diwali,” she mentioned.

It follows a dramatic weekend when Johnson declared that although he had met the “high hurdle” of 102 nominations, sufficient to make the shortlist in time for the Monday deadline, he had determined to not proceed within the curiosity of social gathering unity.

“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,” he mentioned in a press release.

Sunak took to Twitter quickly after to reward his document in workplace, in an obvious outreach to the Johnson loyalists inside a divided Tory social gathering.

Sunak mentioned: “Boris Johnson delivered Brexit and the great vaccine roll-out. He led our country through some of the toughest challenges we have ever faced, and then took on Putin and his barbaric war in Ukraine. We will always be grateful to him for that.

“Although he has determined to not run for PM once more, I really hope he continues to contribute to public life at house and overseas.” There had been a lot speak of a rapprochement between the duo, who labored aspect by aspect at No. 10 and 11 Downing Street because the Prime Minister and Chancellor throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, it was the pandemic lockdown law-breaking partygate scandal that in the end introduced their partnership to a halt in July when Sunak’s resignation from Cabinet set occasions in movement that resulted in Johnson’s personal exit

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