of the hall by officials. giorgia meloni has been sworn in as the head of italy s latest coalition government. she s the nation s first female prime mnister and its first far right leader since the second world war. hello and welcome if you re watching in the uk or around the world. borisjohnson has arrived back from holiday as the battle to replace liz truss as conservative leader and prime minister intensifies. mrjohnson s plane touched down at gatwick airport in the last hour. neither mrjohnson nor rishi sunak have declared their candidacy; only penny mourdant has officially put her name forward. we understand the former chancellor is expected to announce his candidacy shortly. but it s widely being seen as a battle between the former prime minister and the man who worked with him as chancellor. currently the bbc estimates 168 out of 357 tory mps have gone public with their support. rishi sunak has passed the key threshold of 100 backers, borisjohnson has 46 and penn
the former chancellor has yet to announce whether he will launch a fresh bid for the top job after losing to liz truss over the summer. meanwhile, borisjohnson has flown home from holiday, as supporters rally behind a potential comeback by the former prime minister. but so far, penny mordaunt is the only contender to have officially launched a campaign. hopefuls have until monday afternoon to find 100 backers. 0ur political correspondent helen catt has more. good helen catt has more. morning, are you running for leadership? good morning, are you running for leadership? he good morning, are you running for leadership? good morning, are you running for leadershi? ., , ., , , leadership? he has got the numbers to net on leadership? he has got the numbers to get on the leadership? he has got the numbers to get on the ballot leadership? he has got the numbers to get on the ballot paper leadership? he has got the numbers to get on the ballot paper and - leadership? he has go
dry or for and against europe. on more simple lines like wet and dry orfor and against europe. now there are divisions galore and it will be very difficult. what i really want to see is an upsurge of feeling within the conservative party that there must be unity within it so that it can govern effectively. within it so that it can govern effectively- within it so that it can govern effectivel . . , , effectively. that is interesting, ou want effectively. that is interesting, you want to effectively. that is interesting, you want to hear effectively. that is interesting, you want to hear from - effectively. that is interesting, you want to hear from the - effectively. that is interesting, i you want to hear from the party, from the mps, that they want to see unity and you are not hearing that? not at the moment, which shows the measure of the difficulty, i think, that these accessible have, whoever that these accessible have, whoever that may be. that the successor will have. i
these whoever that may be. i don t know these candidates personally. we will be hearing from them. what is obvious be hearing from them. what is obvious to be hearing from them. what is obvious to everyone is that the former obvious to everyone is that the former chancellor of the exchequer has a former chancellor of the exchequer has a rather attractive track record has a rather attractive track record. he conducts himself well. i want record. he conducts himself well. i want to record. he conducts himself well. i want to see record. he conducts himself well. i want to see stability and unity and dignity want to see stability and unity and dignity back in politics. i m afraid boris dignity back in politics. i m afraid borisjohnson is wholly dignity back in politics. i m afraid boris johnson is wholly incompatible with that boris johnson is wholly incompatible with that. if boris johnson is wholly incompatible with that. ~ , ., , , ., boris johnson is wholly incompa
and this is the danger of populism and this is the danger of populism and i m afraid borisjohnson is hugely guilty of that and should have apologised straightaway and frankly why he s hanging out in a dark recesses of the far right lab i have no idea. it s pretty unsavoury and dangerous and we saw it was dangerous in the united states when you saw people try to sack r here and it s equally dangerous here. he as you know has tried to clarify his comments although no intention of apologising and denying there was any direct link but when you are sitting here today having outlined that experience it feels very different for you. that experience it feels very different for you. populists never do apologise different for you. populists never do apologise and different for you. populists never do apologise and i different for you. populists never do apologise and i hate - different for you. populists never do apologise and i hate being - do apologise and i hate being unpopular. he is