What are the odds for Boris Jhonson to win against Rishi Sunak?

Can Johnson make a comeback?

Johnson was prime minister from 2019 to 2022 until he was forced to resign over a string of scandals. And, the prospect of another Johnson premiership is a polarising issue for many in the Conservative Party.

For some Conservative lawmakers, Johnson is a vote-winner, able to appeal across the country with his celebrity image and brand of energetic optimism. For others he is a toxic figure who would struggle to unite the party and so might undermine efforts to build a stable leadership to calm rattled financial markets.

Apparently, Johnson is still facing an investigation into whether he misled parliament when he was last in power, and several former backers have said that would guarantee a return to the constant state of drama that accompanied his previous premiership.

What do the numbers say?

Rishi Sunak, who has already declared to run for the post, is well ahead in the race to secure lawmaker backing, with the BBC putting his support at 129 declarations, and Johnson on 53.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg claims the ex-PM had the 100 backers needed to be in the contest. However, just over half that number have publicly declared their support.

Batting for Johnson, Nadhim Zahawi, who was briefly finance minister earlier this year, said, “When I was Chancellor, I saw a preview of what Boris 2.0 would look like. He was contrite and honest about his mistakes. He’d learned from those mistakes how he could run Number 10 and the country better.

“With a unified team behind him, he is the one to lead us to victory and prosperity.”

On the other hand, Sunak received the backing of Eurosceptic Steve Baker who told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “I think it would be for the best if Boris did something big and statesmanlike. I mean, if he wants to come back as prime minister, he would need to do it after this privileges issue is settled. I think he’d make an amazing chairman of the party

“But what we can’t do is have him as prime minister in circumstances where he’s bound to implode, taking down the whole government with him. We just can’t do that again.”

Meanwhile, Johnson and Sunak met on Saturday evening, according to reports. The Times political editor said they had not agreed any deal, and that Johnson had told his supporters on Sunday morning that he wanted to a form a new government.