Boris Johnson pulls out of UK Conservative leadership race: Reports

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Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pulled out of the race to become the leader of the Conservative Party and consequently UK's next PM, Al Mayadeen's correspondent to London reported on Sunday.  

According to Reuters, Johnson said he had enough support from lawmakers to move to the next stage; however, it was less than that of former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak.

This move opens the door to Sunak, who announced his bid earlier on Sunday.

Johnson and Sunak convened on Saturday to talk over the Conservative leadership contest, and sources said they were seeking to abolish the need to take a possibly divisive vote between them to party members.

Tory MPs called on Johnson and Sunak to set aside differences and agree on one of them being the next PM while the other would serve in a senior cabinet position. However, that possibility came close to impossible due to previous tension between the two men when Sunak resigned as finance minister during Johnson's term. 

It is worth noting that Johnson returned to the United Kingdom amid speculation that he might try to vie for Conservative Party leadership and a second term at Downing Street after Liz Truss's resignation, British media reported on Saturday. 

James Duddridge, a member of parliament and Johnson's ally, said on Friday that Johnson informed him he was "up for it" and that he would come back from his vacation in the Caribbean early, considering the political vacuum following the resignation of Truss.

Johnson served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party from 2019 to 2022. He stepped down following several scandals over parties at his office during Covid-19 lockdowns.