Boris Johnson Rejects Comeback Amid Tory Losses, Backs Badenoch over Farage

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has firmly dismissed speculation about a political comeback and ruled out Nigel Farage becoming the next UK prime minister, emphasizing that the Conservative Party will recover from recent setbacks. Johnson criticized the idea of merging the Conservatives with Reform UK, calling it a futile "monkey gland infusion" and highlighted that Reform UK was insignificant during his tenure. Despite Johnson's rejection of a return, recent polls suggest he remains the only leader under whom the Conservatives could outperform Reform UK, with his hypothetical leadership boosting Tory support and reducing Farage's influence. Current Tory leader Kemi Badenoch, who has faced heavy losses in local elections, is seen by some within the party as struggling to arrest the party's decline amid Reform UK's rising popularity. Johnson expressed confidence that voters will tire of the current "high tax, high regulation, massively woke" government by 2028-2029, leading them back to conservatism. The Conservative Party faces significant internal pressure and questions about its future direction as it grapples with Reform UK's surge and its own electoral challenges.