Boris Johnson opposes appointment of former finance minister as PM

Boris Johnson urging defeated Tory leadership candidates to back “anyone but Rishi”, Report informs, citing The Times.

The prime minister has said he will not endorse any leadership candidates or publicly intervene in the contest. He is understood, however, to have held conversations with failed contenders to succeed him in which he made clear his view that Sunak should not become prime minister.

A source close to one of the conversations said that Johnson appeared most keen on Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, who has been endorsed by his fiercest cabinet allies, Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries.

Johnson is also understood to have indicated that he is open to Penny Mordaunt, the junior trade minister, succeeding him.