As Johnson Reels From Scandals, Is Someone Plotting to Take His Place?
The New York Times
A key question is: Will the results of an inquiry over parties in Downing Street during lockdown push a fellow conservative to move against Prime Minister Boris Johnson?
LONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have crossed a political Rubicon in recent days over charges that he lied about Downing Street parties during the pandemic. But whether he is forced out of power could depend on whether one of his fellow Conservatives is ready to play the role of Brutus.
As Britain’s political establishment waits for the results of an internal investigation of the parties, a key question is whether it will trigger a plot against Mr. Johnson, and if so, who would make the first move against him?
There is no shortage of candidates, from the ambitious chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, to the crowd-pleasing foreign secretary, Liz Truss. But the tactics and timing of a leadership challenge are fiendishly tricky, and few forget the old British maxim, “He who wields the knife never wears the crown.”
