Boris Johnson refuses to back a specific Tory leader candidate

Boris Johnson has said he is “determined” to deliver the mandate he was elected on in 2019 in his final few weeks as Prime Minister, in his first public appearance since he resigned as Conservative leader. Mr Johnson has refused to speak about the mass exodus of his ministers that led to his resignation last week and said throwing his weight behind one of the candidates to succeed him could “damage” their chances. Following the accusation in his resignation speech that his tormentors had succumbed to a “herd mentality”, he was asked whether he felt betrayed during a visit to the Francis Crick Institute in London.