BORIS Johnson has pulled out of the race to be the next leader of the Conservative Party, after he was stabbed in the back by long time friend Michael Gove.

In what was yet another dramatic day in British politics, Gove himself announced his intention to become the next Prime Minister, catching many colleagues by surprise, not least Johnson and Theresa May, who also announced her leadership bid yesterday.

Johnson, who had effectively led the successful campaign for a Leave vote in last week’s referendum had started the day as favourite to replace Cameron. He and Gove were expected to run on a joint ticket, with the Surrey Heath MP becoming Chancellor or Foreign Secretary in a Johnson administration.

Just an hour before Johnson was supposed to announce, Gove destroyed his Brexiteer chum’s ambitions, releasing a statement saying he had come “reluctantly to the conclusion that Boris cannot provide the leadership or build the team for the task ahead”.

He continued: “I have, therefore, decided to put my name forward for the leadership. I want there to be an open and positive debate about the path the country will now take.”

Labour immediately pointed out that Gove has previously ruled himself out of standing as Tory leader nine times.

He once told the BBC’s World at One that he was “not equipped to be prime minister”, and in one much repeated interview with Sky News, the former journalist said: “I don’t think I have got that exceptional level of ability required to do the job.” His change of heart was enough to force Johnson to reconsider.

In his student days, Johnson was a member of the controversial Bullingdon Club, a dining society who would dress up, go out, eat food, drink fine wines and smash up restaurants before walking away.

With the result of last week’s referendum still playing havoc with the markets and the country’s future, Johnson stunned colleagues by doing a Bullingdon and walking away.

After a lengthy speech on spreading opportunity and on his successes as Mayor of London, Johnson said “that having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in parliament” he had concluded that the next Tory leader “cannot be me”.

“My role will be to give every possible support to the next Conservative administration to make sure that we properly fulfil the mandate of the people that was delivered at the referendum and to champion the agenda that I believe in, to stick up for the forgotten people of this country.” Some of his closest supporters had, right up until the end of his speech, been expecting Johnson to announce his plan to take over from David Cameron. MP Nadine Dorries was reportedly in tears.

Lord Heseltine, a veteran of leadership contests was furious: “I have never seen anything like it. He’s ripped the Tory party apart, he has created the greatest constitutional crisis in peacetime in my life. He has knocked billions off the value of the savings of the British people.

“He’s like a general who marches his army to the sound of the guns and the moment he sees the battleground he abandons it.

“I have never seen anything like it and he must be answerable for the consequences.

“But the pain of it will be felt by all of us and if it doesn’t get resolved shortly, by a generation to come yet.”

Johnson’s supporters were furious with Gove, accusing him of behaving in an underhand way. They pointed to Johnson’s poorly received and confusing post-Brexit Monday column in the Daily Telegraph, where he had seemed to row back a little on the whole Brexit thing, advocating the free movement of people. Johnson’s supporters said that it had been edited by Gove, hinting that he had perhaps sabotaged Johnson’s article.

The deadline for nominations for the contest was at 12pm yesterday and five candidates put themselves forward, three of whom were born in Scotland: Gove in Edinburgh, disgraced defence secretary Liam Fox in East Kilbride and Stephen Crabb in Inverness.

Bookies, however, say the smart money’s on Home Secretary Theresa May. The Remain campaigner tried to woo the party with a promise that “Brexit would mean Brexit,” there would be no trying to wriggle away from the instructions of the British people. The country voted to leave the European Union, and it is the duty of the government and of parliament to make sure we do just that,” she said.

May also pledged not to hold a snap election, accusing some of her colleagues of treating government as a game. “It’s a serious business that has real consequences for people’s lives.”

It was a well received speech, and her bid is thought to have the backing of David Cameron.

The fifth candidate is Andrea Leadsom, a Leave campaigner who came to prominence during the referendum taking part in two high profile televised debates. She announced her candidature in a tweet on Thursday morning, saying: “Let’s make the most of the Brexit opportunities!”

After nominations closed, Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Scotland’s potential future – out of the EU with Michael Gove or Theresa May as PM. It fair focuses the mind.”


Hugh MacDonald: The man who would be king suddenly found he was only the court jester

JOHN MOORE, anybody? Thought not. And what of the reign of the Lion King himself, the man with the mane, Michael Heseltine? Nope, he never gained the highest office in the land either.

The differing careers and characters of Moore, once a favourite under Thatcher, and Heseltine, once a rival to Thatcher, offer lessons as the Tory leadership race opened with the announcement of a rather famous non-runner in Boris Johnson.

Moore was one of a succession of Tories thought to be in line to succeed Margaret Thatcher. He was overtaken in that race by a succession of favoured candidates, including the unprepossessing but successful John Major, showing that leadership elections in the Tory Party can be unpredictable and grisly.

And what of Heseltine? He teaches the biggest lesson. He embodies the most enduring of political truisms: he who wields the dagger never wears the crown.

Heseltine’s flounce out of a Cabinet meeting – over a long-forgotten and even at the time arcane dispute over a helicopter company – led ultimately but inexorably to the coup that toppled Thatcher.

He finished second, just behind Thatcher, in the leadership election of 1990 but gained enough votes to force a second ballot. Major won that, ultimately taking the great prize.

As one MP later remarked: “At least Heseltine stabbed her in the front.” But the party remains squeamish about those with the blood of leaders on their hands. Major was brought down ultimately by a general election defeat but he could and did blame “the bastards”.

It is sobering to recall that Major was referring to a trio of Eurosceptics...way back in 1993. This merry band of three – Michael Portillo, Michael Howard, Peter Lilley – had weakened a sitting prime minister over the issue of Europe.

None of them succeeded Major, that job went to William Hague, proving yet again that the knife that wounds the premier can inflict damage on those wielding it. Howard did later become Tory leader, a distinctly undistinguished and unsuccessful one.

So Bludgeoning Boris, the man who stuck the knife into his old school mate, was adhering to a traditional political story by failing to take the crown. The man who would be king suddenly found he was only the court jester.

Most political commentators appeared stunned by his announcement yesterday.

There was even shock on the faces of such staunch supporters as Nadine Dorries, Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire, as Johnson told the world that he had broken it but would not be owning it.

He had inflicted the fatal wound on the political career of Cameron and another old school mate, George Osborne, but would not profit by it.

But the Johnson decision also reinforced another political truism. It is this: it is not enough to know the objective, one has to have the strategy to achieve it.

Johnson had no post-Brexit plan, no strategy to capitalise on a revolutionary vote. There can be no doubt that he saw the referendum on Europe as his main chance to be prime minister. There is nothing sincere in Johnson save his lust for power.

But that is never enough when one seeks to be the king or queen. Johnson was left as a winner with no prize, a leader with no real support. He had won the playground battle but lost the political war. The same fate may await Michael Gove, one perceived as an ally but always a rival.

He may also pay the price for reckless ambition. The bill is already being settled by the British public who thought they were voting on Europe but were only providing the stage for a vicious and disastrous internal party dispute.