Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a surprise appearance on the British election campaign trail on Tuesday in a final bid to rally support for the Conservative party and its leader, Rishi Sunak, whom he helped bring down.
Johnson won an overwhelming majority in the last election in 2019 but was forced to resign in 2022 after a Conservative rebellion instigated by Sunak exposed deep divisions, particularly between him and Johnson.
Two days before an election that is expected to result in a landslide defeat for the Conservative Party, he introduced the current prime minister at an election event in London to a chorus of “Boris! Boris!” from Conservative supporters.
In a speech that listed his own achievements, Johnson offered little personal support for Sunak and focused instead on the dangers of the opposition Labour Party taking power.
“No one can sit idly by while a Labour government seeks, by a huge majority, to destroy much of the progress we have made,” he said.
While acknowledging he might be a surprise to some, he said he was pleased that Mr Sunak had asked him to help. “Of course I couldn’t say no,” he added.
“Whatever our differences may be, they are completely insignificant compared to the disaster we would face if the so-called polls were correct,” Johnson said.
Johnson, one of the best-known figures in British politics and a proven winner of elections, has spent almost the entire campaign on the sidelines since stepping down from frontline politics in 2023. He has endorsed individual candidates in video messages but has so far not appeared at any major campaign events.
Appearing on stage after Johnson (though not next to him), Sunak thanked his predecessor.
“Friends, wouldn’t it be great to see our Conservative family come together?” he said.
