Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson leads as he looks to retake top job

Boris Johnson is one of the leading contenders vying for the job as U.K. prime minister despite having been ousted from office just three months ago upon losing the support of his own party, reports said Friday.

Conservative lawmakers in the U.K. faced a renewed crisis this week when Liz Truss resigned as prime minister Thursday after filling the role for just 44 days.

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Despite leaving office amid a series of scandals like “partygate” and the mass resignation of several top officials over allegations of sexual misconduct involving his former Tory Deputy Chief Whip Chris Pincher, Johnson is believed to be one of the top contenders among Conservative lawmakers reported Reuters. 

As opinion polls reportedly show that Britain’s Conservative Party could face a wipeout in the next national election, Tory officials are looking to garner the 100 votes needed from Conservative lawmakers to fill the top job now.

However, Johnson is not guaranteed to retake his post as prime minister and is expected to face off with his former finance minister, Rishi Sunak.

A party election among Tory lawmakers will be held Monday so long as all candidates are able to achieve the 100-vote minimum, according to Reuters.

If only one candidate garners the minimum votes needed, then that contender will automatically get the job. 

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Once the race is narrowed to just two candidates, the vote will be opened to the roughly 170,000 lawmakers who make up the Conservative Party, the publication explained.

Not everyone in Johnson’s party or even in his former cabinet are apparently convinced he could achieve the sweeping comeback needed to refill the prime minister job, reports suggested Friday. 

“The country needs a grown-up, serious leader. Boris had his chance, let’s move on. I suspect that is not what the Tory party will do, they may well re-elect him,” Will Walden chief counsel and communications director told the BBC.

Ballots are expected to close Friday, Oct. 28 and results will be announced the same day.