Boris Johnson Reportedly Mulling Leaving Politics Altogether Amid Fallout

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Outgoing British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is thinking of leaving politics altogether, The Telegraph reports citing insider sources.

"He’s taking this weekend to think about it. I don’t think he’s decided yet," one source told the newspaper on Saturday. Another insider said Johnson "is taking stock and seeing where we are. He is not standing down now, but that’s not saying he will stand again."

According to The Telegraph, after a run of by-election defeats in southern Tory seats, Johnson has decided he cannot force a by-election in his constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip.

The newspaper said on Saturday citing sources that Johnson is deciding whether to remain in the Commons or to choose another path and return to the writing and after-dinner speaking that he busied himself with before 2016.

Earlier, The Telegraph reported that Former British health and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who lost to Boris Johnson in 2019, as well as Sajid Javid, another former health secretary, have announced that they are joining the race to succeed Johnson as UK prime minister.

Both Hunt, 55, and Javid, 52, revealed their intention to lead the Conservative Party and become the country's prime minister in separate interviews with The Telegraph on Saturday. They both said they would cut corporation tax from the current 25% to 15% if they were to become prime minister.

Earlier on Saturday, newly appointed UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi announced his candidacy for the post of prime minister, as well as UK Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps. Shapps and Zahawi joined the list of candidates, which among others includes Rishi Sunak, who resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer on July 5.

Outgoing UK Prime Minister and Tory leader Boris Johnson has been grappling with calls to resign after a series of scandals over violations of COVID-19 regulations throughout 2020 and 2021. Earlier this week, another scandal with the appointment of Christopher Pincher, who was vetted by Johnson as deputy chief whip of the Conservatives despite accusations of sexual misconduct, led to a string of resignations and eventually forced Johnson to step down both as the prime minister and head of the UK's Conservative Party. He will remain in office until a new appointment is made.