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PERHAPS UNSURPRISINGLY, BORIS Johnson’s possible bid to return as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister has dominated the UK papers this morning.
The headlines across the Irish Sea are all focusing on Johnson’s possible leadership bid, as well as former Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s strong lead in garnering Tory support early on.
As the papers went to the presses, Sunak was reportedly on the threshold of obtaining the 100 votes needed from Conservative MPs to stand in the contest. Sunak’s supporters said he had achieved this number last night.
“Tory tribes go to war,” reads the front page of The Guardian, which leads with the growing support for Boris Johnson’s “audacious bid to return to Downing Street”, and how it risked plunging the Conservative Party into “fresh chaos”.
Guardian front page, Saturday 22 October 2022: Tory tribes go to war pic.twitter.com/rprbQi6zqf
— Guardian news (@guardiannews) October 21, 2022
“Sunak races to secure majority of Tory MPs,” says The Daily Telegraph, which goes on to say that the former chancellor was “pushing towards a coronation”, but that support was mounting for Johnson.
The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph:
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) October 21, 2022
'Rishi Sunak races to secure majority of Tory MPs and seal a coronation in leadership contest'#TomorrowsPapersToday
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4O6L2Y pic.twitter.com/z1dQlryi5g
The Financial Times focuses on the markets response to a possible Johnson leadership bid:
“Investors take fright at prospect of Johnson return as UK premier,” the front page reads.
Just published: front page of FT Weekend, international edition, Saturday 22 October https://t.co/Sev7P9ohc8 pic.twitter.com/KBgNfEI6IO
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) October 21, 2022
The Daily Mail takes an interesting angle, leading with reports that senior Tories were trying to broker a meeting between Johnson and Sunak, in a bid to “end the bloodletting engulfing the party”.
Saturday’s @DailyMailUK #MailFrontPages pic.twitter.com/4WAXNAlT9u
— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) October 21, 2022
“Surely.. not again,” leads The Daily Mirror, with a grainy shot of Johnson on holiday.
“Boris Johnson and wife Carrie relax in the Caribbean as he plots a return as PM in a move that could split the Tories,” states the front page.
Saturday's front page: Surely..not again https://t.co/D2Gyj8KsFS #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/u3v76CpniF
— The Mirror (@DailyMirror) October 21, 2022
And last but not lea(f)st, The Daily Star has been rooting around the presses for a new vegetable to take centre stage.
Following the success of its Liz Truss vs a head of lettuce publicity campaign, The Star has turned over to that much maligned vegetable (or fruit), the aubergine (Oh-Bo-Gine?)
“They have tossed aside The Lettuce, now they’re serving up… the AUBERGINE,” the front page reads, accompanied by a disturbing image of Boris Johnson’s face inside an aubergine.
“Just when you thought all the salad-based puns had been exhausted, posh aubergine Bozo Johnson has emerged as one of the favourites to replace Lettuce Liz as PM.”
Saturday's Paper: They have tossed aside The Lettuce, now they're serving up... The Aubergine 🍆#TomorrowsPaperTonight pic.twitter.com/My2acWV7Nm
— Daily Star (@dailystar) October 21, 2022
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If they put Boris back in again, the conservative party will be perceived to being beyond a joke. Although UK politics has gone from bad to worse so it would not surprise me. It’s like spitting image has come to real life.
@Twitruser2022: we have done it here and keep voting for the beyond a joke parties, Teflon!
@Twitruser2022:
Ding the numbers i think Boris could get back…
He probably has enough to get the 100 MPs.
Sunak is not popular among the membership who 95% white and 75% remainers…
Sunak is about fiscal responsibility which to them is not as appealing as popularism which Truss was also.
This is how popularism works it is sbout not being responsible, UK learnt the hard way that you can’t promise the world and then borrow and tax cut/spend.
This is a lesson to why Sinn Fein’s fincial plans need far more scrutiny.
@Cowboy Ted: I wonder if the same would be the case if they went to the poles, I think he probably would top the poles.
@Caroline Otoole:
I wouldn’t go that far… In a National Pole Boris is a liability…. Starmer is way ahead… Sunak or Penny are the strongest in an election…
Boris will be awful when judged by the markets… It is the markets that putting pressure on UK finances and they want fiscal responsibility. Boris spends like he buying wallpapers…
Boris probably thinks he’s Churchill now getting called from his holidays to lead his nation…the crater
@Seamus Quaide: hes arrogant enough! Good comparison.
Most of us have to work 40 years for a pension, 40 days for lis, £15000 a year for her now, why not give the whole part a go at the job? + she cost the British taxpayer £65 billion, good work if you can get it!.
@Heisen berg1: Yes Out of Europe But still won The Euromillions
What a divided country. Every sector looking out for themselves. The best thing for the country is irrelevant. Capitalism, multiculturalism, liberalism is to blame.
@Celtic Eagle: Drivel. Brexit is the cause.
@DJ François: and why did people vote for Brexit
@Celtic Eagle: Because they had a bunch
of people telling them that Europe was holding Britain back, drowning the country in foreigners (lazy layabouts on the dole taking all our jobs) and demanding vast payments for no return. Leaving Europe would provide 350 million a week to spend on the NHS.
In other words they were fed a pack of sweet sounding lies and just over half that voted fell for them.
@Celtic Eagle: A potent combination of stupidity and racism?
@Celtic Eagle: What a load of horse5h1t. Multiculturalism and Liberalism to blame? The exact opposite is true. Ignorance, intolerance, arrogance and lies are to blame.
So it Will be down to Boris or Mordaunt, and poor Mordaunt hasn’t a chance against Boris. Sunak is only there so it gives the impression that the Tory party is not racist, but they will never have a “foreign looking” person as PM, there are too many white Eton toffs pulling the strings in the background. I’d put my money on Boris. Also I think with Boris running it will dissuade any other tory leader wannabees from running.
If Rishi’s surname was ‘Wilson’ or ‘Harris’ he would be PM by now.
Politics shoud be about running a country, working for the people, bettering ourselves to be strong responsible human beings. Its now just about popularity and party over people. England needs a general election and get rid of the posh gang.
The journal are extra touchy. Anytime I use the word muppets to describe the Tories, they remove my comment :)
@Declan Moran: They’re a shower of kermits
Boris coming back kinda seems like a brown hat topping the whole debacle off.
have your say