Johnson's allies and senior government members confirmed the ex-prime minister’s intention to play a role in the forthcoming election, saying he would not miss a chance to fight Labour Party leader Keir Starmer, the newspaper reported.
"If there is a way he can help that is right for him and for the party he will … Sunak will of course be front and centre but he [Johnson] always wanted to take the fight to Starmer. Just as he has always supported the Conservative Party he will do so now," the source, familiar with Johnson’s thinking told The Times.
Johnson and acting Prime Minister Rishi Sunak have repaired their relationship, which is currently "in a fairly good place," therefore the current leader might employ Johnson's support in the course of the election campaign, a source in the UK government told the newspaper.
The next UK general election is to be held in January 2025 at the latest.
Johnson was eventually forced to resign as UK Prime Minister in July 2022 after a series of leaks showed that several social gatherings had been held at his offices throughout 2020 and 2021, flouting COVID-19 social distancing rules. The situation was aggravated by reports that two more parties were held in April 2021, right before Prince Philip's funeral, when the UK still maintained COVID-19 restrictions and was in national mourning. Johnson later apologized and said he had paid the fine issued by the Metropolitan Police.
In June 2023, Johnson resigned as a member of parliament from the Conservative Party. In February, Sunak said he did not rule out the possibility of Johnson's return to government.