Britain's justice secretary Michael Gove has defended his decision to abandon Boris Johnson and launch his own bid for the Conservative leadership, saying he had concluded that the former London mayor was not up to the job. Mr Johnson announced that he would not contest the leadership on Thursday morning, shortly after Mr Gove's surprise declaration that he would be a candidate.
“I came in the last few days reluctantly and firmly to the conclusion that while Boris has great attributes he was not capable of uniting that team and leading the party and the country in the way that I would have hoped,” he told the BBC.
Mr Gove and Mr Johnson were the two most prominent Conservative figures in the Vote Leave campaign and the justice secretary threw his support behind Mr Johnson’s leadership bid immediately after last week’s referendum. Although he has stated a number of times in the past that he is not cut out to be prime minister, Mr Gove said he concluded late on Wednesday night that only he could build a team to unite the party.
"I came to the conclusion that ultimately Boris could not build that team, could not provide that leadership and that unity. It had to fall to someone else. As someone who had argued consistently that we should leave the European Union, and as someone who's experienced at the highest levels in the Cabinet, I felt it had to fall to me," he said.
Mr Johnson announced that he would not be a candidate at a press conference in London originally planned to launch his leadership bid. He outlined an agenda for Britain’s next prime minister, urging optimism as Britain prepares to leave the EU, before surprising supporters and the media with his decision.
“Having consulted colleagues and in view of the circumstances in parliament, I have concluded that person cannot be me,” he said.
Earlier, home secretary Theresa May launched her candidacy, contrasting her background as a vicar's daughter with that of Eton-educated Johnson, and presenting herself as a personally modest politician in the mode of German chancellor Angela Merkel.
“I know I’m not a showy politician,” she said.
“I don’t go drinking in parliament’s bars. I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve, I just get on with the job in front of me and you can judge me by my record.”
Although Mr Gove has won the support of some of Mr Johnson's erstwhile backers, many of those who supported the former London mayor are angry at what they see as his key ally's betrayal of him. Ms May is now the favourite, followed by Mr Gove, with three other candidates – work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb, energy minister Andrea Leadsom and former defence secretary Liam Fox – trailing.
The Conservative leader is chosen by party members from a shortlist of two, selected by MPs in a series of knock-out ballots which will begin next Tuesday. The new leader should be in place by September 9th.
The drama in the Conservative race took the spotlight off the continuing chaos in the Labour party, as MPs try to force out their leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Shadow business secretary Angela Eagle was expected to formally challenge Mr Corbyn for the leadership on Thursday but she has postponed the move for a day.
Mr Corbyn, who retains the support of many of the party members who will determine any leadership contest, faced further criticism on Thursday when he appeared to compare Israel to the so-called Islamic State. Unveiling a report on anti-Semitism in the Labour Party, Mr Corbyn said "our Jewish friends are no more responsible for the actions of Israel than our Muslim friends are for self-styled Islamic states or organisations".
