Rachel Johnson reacts to brother Boris pulling out of race for No 10: 'I feel sad for him'
23 October 2022, 21:28 | Updated: 23 October 2022, 22:04
Rachel Johnson said her brother Boris was right to pull out of the race for Tory leader and PM, saying it was "too early" for his return to frontline politics.
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The LBC host reacted in real time to Boris Johnson's explosive announcement tonight that he would not be contesting the party leadership, calling an end to his effort to make a swift return to Number Ten.
She said: "I'm sure you want my reaction to that.
"My first feeling is as a sister [...] I feel sad for him. Because clearly that was a hard note to right and he clearly wanted to feel that he could unite the party, and he could be a successful prime minister again.
LBC: Rachel Johnson reacts after Boris pulls out of Tory leadership race
"I will tell you that I also thought this was not his time. There may come a moment when it is his time. I felt three months after he left office it was too soon.
"It felt too soon. I think the country feels that too. The country is as split as everyone else.
"I'm glad he's taken this decision. I commend him for taking this decision. This is a man who loves winning. I don't think this suggests he thought he couldn't win. [It suggests] he was not the person to unite it."
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In a message sent to journalists just after 9pm, Johnson wrote: "I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative majority in 2024 - and tonight I can confirm I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow.
"There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members - and that I could indeed be back in Downing Street on Friday.
"But in the course of the last days I have sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do. You can't govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament.
"And though I have reached out to both Rishi and Penny - because I hoped that we would come together in the national interest - we have simply not been able to work out a way of doing this.
"Therefore I am afraid that the best thing is that I do is not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds."I believe I have much to offer but this is simply not the right time."
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