Priti Patel adds name to Boris Johnson supporters as ex-PM prepares bid for return to No 10

Former prime minister expected to launch campaign after return from Caribbean holiday

Former home secretary Priti Patel has become the latest high-profile Conservative to throw her weight behind Boris Johnson’s bid to return as prime minister.

Ms Patel announced in a tweet that she believes the former PM has a mandate to govern from the 2019 general election and a “proven track record getting the big decisions right”.

Her endorsement brought to 58 Mr Johnson total of publicly declared nominations from MPs, as he nears on the 100 threshold required to join the race to succeed Liz Truss as Conservative leader.

Front-runner Rishi Sunak is understood to have passed the 100 milestone with two days to go to the 2pm Monday deadline. Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt, the only contender officially to have declared her candidacy, is lagging behind on 22.

Ms Patel was home secretary throughout Mr Johnson’s first period in office from 2019-22, but was not invited to join Ms Truss’s government.

She said: “Boris has the mandate to deliver our elected manifesto and a proven track record getting the big decisions right. I’m backing him in the leadership contest.”

Mr Johnson already has the backing of cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg, Ben Wallace, Simon Clarke, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Alok Sharma and Chris Heaton-Harris, as well as former culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

Mr Sunak meanwhile has the declared support of former cabinet ministers including Sajid Javid, Dominic Raab, Matt Hancock, Oliver Dowden, Robert Jenrick, Liam Fox and Gavin Williamson as well as senior serving ministers Tom Tugendhat and Chris Philp.