A Johnson tilt at the leadership could be the final straw for many Tory MPs

Liz Truss resigned as Prime Minister on Thursday, bringing to an end a brief and humiliating period in office. Outlasted by a lettuce in a wig, Truss’ only real impacts were exacerbating the UK’s economic crisis with her disastrous mini-Budget and bringing her party to the edge of collapse. The leadership election over the summer was marked by Tory in-fighting. Early signs point to the next contest being an even more bitter affair. Truss announced in her resignation speech that the election to appoint her successor will conclude “within the next week”. Nominations opened yesterday afternoon and will close at 2pm on Monday, with leadership hopefuls required to secure the backing of at least 100 MPs to progress.

As of yet, no candidates have publicly declared that they are standing, but the rumour mill went in to overdrive yesterday about which Tory MPs may or may not throw their hat in the ring. Much of the commentary has focused on reports that Boris Johnson may try and make a comeback. According to The Times, the disgraced former Prime Minister is thought to believe standing is a matter of “national interest”. This the man who resigned just months ago after a string of scandals. The man who was forced out of office by an unprecedented series of frontbench resignations. The man who – while chaos has engulfed the country and his party – has been sunning himself on a beach in the Caribbean.

Angela Rayner declared that the idea of Johnson returning was “absolutely absurd”. Speaking to Sky News on Thursday, the deputy Labour leader had a strong warning for Tory MPs considering backing the former PM: “If that’s their solution to this problem, then they’re going to get even more thumped at a general election, because the British public do not like being taken for fools.” Johnson may have the support of Ukraine (in a since deleted post, the official Ukraine Twitter account shared a bizarre graphic advocating for his return), but it is clear that his candidacy could rip the Tory Party apart, with MPs including Roger Gale and John Baron already publicly threatening to resign the whip if he becomes PM again.

On the broadcast round this morning, Rachel Reeves argued that the longer the Conservatives are in power “the less fit they become to govern”, reiterating Labour’s call for a general election. “We can’t carry on like this,” the Shadow Chancellor told viewers, adding that she thinks many Tories recognise that fact as well. The opposition parties have been united in demanding a general election, but as is often the case, they have limited power to force the government to act. It will come down to Tory MPs acknowledging the rot at the heart of their party and accepting that their mandate has gone. The one tiny upshot of a Johnson run at the leadership is it might bring Conservative MPs more rapidly round to this point of view.

On LabourList this week, we’ve had a series of excellent pieces from shadow ministers and trade union leaders to mark the annual TUC Congress, which concluded yesterday. Angela Rayner kicked us off with a morning email on Tuesday and a piece on Labour’s New Deal for Working People. And readers heard from Keir Starmer yesterday, who argued that the country is now faced with a choice between a “Tory Party that has lost control of itself and the economy” and a “Labour government that delivers fair pay, good work and prosperity for all”. Do check out all the other pieces from this week – from the TUC’s Frances O’Grady, Labour’s Justin Madders, UNISON’s Christina McAnea, Labour Union’s Maria Exall, GMB’s Ross Holden and Prospect’s Andrew Pakes.