Boris Johnson backed by MPs to return as prime minister as Liz Truss resigns

Supporters of Mr Johnson are backing him to takeover from Liz Truss following her resignation on Thursday.

Just six weeks after he left No 10 for the final time, forced out by his own MPs after one scandal too many, allies are urging him to run again for a second shot at the Tory crown.

If he does, he is likely to find himself up against Rishi Sunak – the former chancellor who is blamed by Mr Johnson’s supporters for bringing him down – and the Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt.

Such a move would be highly divisive within the Conservative Party, with reports some MPs could resign the whip and sit as independents rather than serve under Mr Johnson.

But his supporters argue that he alone of the potential candidates to be the new prime minister has won a general election and has a mandate from the British public.

In order to do so however, he will need to secure the nominations of 100 of the party’s 357 MPs – a target which some at Westminster believe may be beyond him.

There was no immediate word from Mr Johnson – who was thought to be holidaying with his family in the Caribbean – on his intentions.

However diehard loyalist Nadine Dorries, the former culture secretary, said she had spoken to him following Ms Truss’s resignation and hinted strongly that he was preparing to run.

“He is a known winner and that is certainly who I’m putting my name against because I want us to win the general election. Having a winner in place is what the party needs to survive,” she told Sky News.

Veteran backbencher Sir Roger Gale, a long-time critic of Mr Johnson, however warned that if he succeeds he could be met with a wave of resignations by Tory MPs.

“I think that there would be people, indeed like myself, who would find ourselves in the awful position of having to resign the Conservative whip,” he told Times Radio.