Boris Johnson will not stand as MP in election, friends of former prime minister say

Boris Johnson was MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip from 2015 until last year - Heathcliff O'Malley for The Telegraph

Boris Johnson is unlikely to stand again as an MP in the upcoming election, friends of the former prime minister believe.

Some of Mr Johnson’s supporters wanted him to return, after he resigned last year following a probe into Partygate.

But friends told The Telegraph on Thursday that was not likely to happen, with one saying: “I would think 100 [per cent] not!”

Another said: “I seriously doubt it. He doesn’t want to.”

Mr Johnson, however, is yet to categorically rule out a return. A near record number of Tory MPs are standing down at the next election, with five announcing on Thursday that they won’t be contesting their seats on July 4. This means that an attractive safe seat could become available at short notice.

Lord Cameron will also not stand as an MP, a source said.

The ex-prime minister resigned as MP for Witney in 2016, just months after he lost the Brexit vote in the referendum.

However, he was brought back to the political frontline last November, when Rishi Sunak made him Foreign Secretary and gave him a seat in the House of Lords. It means he can still have a place in Parliament without being an MP.

Mr Johnson walked away from his Uxbridge constituency last June after accusing the Commons Privileges Committee of mounting a “witch hunt” against him.

Mr Johnson resigned as prime minister in 2022 and then as an MP a year later - Jeff Gilbert

The MPs on the committee had recommended he be suspended from Parliament for 90 days for deliberately misleading the Commons over lockdown parties at Number 10.

This would have given his Uxbridge voters the chance to push for a recall petition in him, which would have led to a by-election he may have lost.

However, after he resigned the Tory candidate who succeeded him defied the pundits and won the by-election.

It has made some of his supporters hope he will soon return to the Commons and possibly stand again as Tory leader after an election defeat.

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