BORIS: STOP FIGHTING AND BACK NEW PM

Johnson writes for the Sunday Express as Liz Truss vows to 'guide the nation through the storm'

- Jonathan Walker

BORIS JOHNSON has told warring Tories to end their bitter in-fighting and unite behind their new leader.

The outgoing PM says they must back his successor "wholeheartedly" to stand a chance of winning the next general election.

In his farewell message published today by the Sunday Express, he assures his troops that Liz Truss - hot favourite to win the leadership race - is "more than capable" of delivering for the people of Britain.

And he insists the brutal mud-slinging marring the leadership race must stop for the good of party and country. Mr Johnson urges Tories to pull together in his final article as PM, declaring: "This is the moment for every Conservative to come together and back the new leader wholeheartedly."

Foreign Secretary Ms Truss is expected to emerge as the new PM tomorrow and vows to "hit the ground running".

TOMORROW the great national suspense will be over and the country will finally learn the name of our new prime minister. This is the moment for every Conservative to come together – and back that new leader wholeheartedly.

This is the time to put aside the disagreements of the last few weeks, fascinating though they may have been, and put the national interest first.

As I leave Number Ten after three tough but often exhilarating years I know just how big and demanding this job is. I also know that either candidate is more than capable of delivering for the people of this country.

I know that together we will get through this cost-ofliving crisis just as we got through Covid – and never forget how grim things seemed just a couple of years ago. We had thousands dying of a new and scary disease and the economy shocked by the biggest fall in output for 300 years.