Major Brexit campaigner and former mayor of London Boris Johnson will not run for prime minister, he announced in a shocking decision on Thursday. Following the resignation of Prime Minister David Cameron after the Brexit vote, Johnson was all but assumed to be the successor.
"This is not a time to quail, it is not a crisis, nor should we see it as an excuse for wobbling or self-doubt, but it is a moment for hope and ambition for Britain," Johnson said Thursday.
All eyes now turn to Michael Gove, an ally of Johnson's, and Theresa May, the home secretary, who has also made a bid to lead the Conservative Party.
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