Boris Johnson withdrew from the Tory leadership race yesterday, and then today, Penny Mordaunt withdrew. Their withdrawals meant that Rishi Sunak is the new British prime minister. The third prime minister in seven weeks, the third prime minister is less than two full menstrual cycles. Sunak is also the first person of color to ever serve as prime minister – he’s the son of Indian immigrants, so he’s the first British Asian person to run the government and the first Hindu! Happy Diwali, Mr. Prime Minister.

Rishi Sunak will become Britain’s next prime minister, prevailing in a chaotic Conservative Party leadership race on Monday after his remaining rival for the position, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew. He will be Britain’s third leader in seven weeks and the first prime minister of color in its history.

The 42-year-old former chancellor of the Exchequer who is the son of Indian immigrants, Mr. Sunak won the contest to replace the ousted Liz Truss, who resigned under pressure last Thursday after her economic agenda caused turmoil.

King Charles III is returning to London this afternoon from Sandringham, the family’s country retreat in Norfolk. Rishi Sunak must see him to be officially installed as prime minister, after Liz Truss relinquishes the job.

[From The NY Times]

Interesting that King Charles was in Sandringham this weekend? KC3 will have to meet with Sunak and this will be the first time that the prime minister has to kiss Charles’s hand and ask to form a government in his name. Liz Truss had to do the hand-kiss thing with QEII, I doubt she had to do it again for Charles (especially given that Truss arguably gave the kiss of death). Sunak’s big claim to fame recently was that he warned the Tory party that Truss’s economic policies would crash the British economy. Which they did. Still, people are mad because they want a f–king general election and they probably won’t get one for a while.

Photos courtesy of Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon and Imageplotter/Avalon.

Honestly, plans for King Charles III have just begun. The coronation committee has probably only had a few meetings, if that. All of the focus on whether Queen Camilla will wear the Koh-i-noor is important, but the conversation probably took Charles by surprise given how little is in place at this point for his May 2023 coronation. That’s what this new Telegraph story is about, how everything needs to be planned and how Charles has put William in a major position of power on the coronation committee, and how this whole thing will probably be done smaller and on a budget. Some highlights:

Prince William’s active role: The Prince of Wales is to take an “active role” in planning the coronation of his father King Charles. The Prince, who is likely to also have a place in the May 6 ceremony itself, is expected to join those on the King’s coronation committee in the coming months to help set the tone for the event. The King’s eldest son will have an active advisory position, taking a keen interest in the ceremony and how it reflects modern Britain. He and the Princess of Wales are likely – but not confirmed – to have a role in the Westminster Abbey event, with discussions currently under way about how it can be modernised and shortened from the spectacular celebrations for the late Queen.

Zero clarity about Prince Harry: There is less clarity over the King’s younger son, the Duke of Sussex, who is no longer a working member of the Royal family.

Charles will probably do a “civil” coronation outside of the church too: The coronation committee will recommend considering a separate civil ceremony at Westminster Hall or in Horse Guards Parade as a “venture of ‘recognition’ of the new monarch outside the religious canopy”.

The coronation won’t be about the “British empire,” it will be about the “united kingdom”: With both Brexit and the Scottish independence referendum adding to “pressures on the monarchy to be a symbol of national unity”, it finds, the coronation should better reflect the Union as well as reducing any previous Imperial associations – to acknowledge that Britain is no longer a “truly international power”.

It should be smaller, less feudal & not so archaic: Dr Bob Harris, of The Constitution Unit at UCL, writes: “The UK no longer has the capacity to mount anything like this spectacle, nor should it do so in straitened times. The next coronation will inevitably be smaller. Archaic elements such as the Court of Claims could be dropped. So should the homage, and thought be given to how the King as head of the nation should be enabled early in the reign to signify support for, and encouragement of, modern civil society. A modernised form of homage could take place, for example, in Westminster Hall, or in a procession on Horse Guards Parade.”

Modern Peg: The involvement of the Prince of Wales in planning the May coronation will be welcomed by royalists as a sign of continuity between the generations and the closer working relationship between the King and his heir. The Prince will, at age of 40, naturally represent the concerns of his own generation, with an eye to modernising the monarchy for the sake of its future.

[From The Telegraph]

It’s funny that the Telegraph’s sources can’t even make it sound like William has even taken an interest in his father’s coronation thus far. Everything is in the future tense – William “will” do such and such, he’s looking forward to eventually advising the committee, he will tell them to do this and that. Why does it feel like Charles is telling his son “this is what you need to be doing” and William is ignoring him and f–king off to Norfolk? The only part of the planning of interest to William will be finding a way to be cruel to Harry. Anyway, this coronation already sounds like a bummer – whoops, Britain is no longer a global power or an empire, whoops, our prime minister was outlasted by a head of lettuce, whoops the British pound is in free fall, whoops, the crown prince is a lazy lightweight who still refuses to do any work. KC3 is going to have to bribe Kate with significant jewels to get her to do jacksh-t too.

Photos courtesy of Instar.

Dixie D’Amelio, 21, is the older sister of TikTok star Charlie D’Amelio and she’s a very popular influencer too. I’ve heard of her through her family’s reality series, The D’Amelio Show, which I admittedly haven’t watched. Dixie recently revealed that she’s been diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, a more severe form of PMS which can severely affect mood. She’d been dealing with this for years before she got a diagnosis. It sounds like it was a relief to her to realize what was wrong. I appreciate that Dixie is opening up about her mental health struggles though and wanted to talk about it. Trigger warning on this content as she talks about feeling suicidal.

“I wasn’t feeling great and not really sure why,” she began. “I recently got diagnosed with this thing called PMDD, which is premenstrual dysphoric disorder.”

PMDD, a more severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), is a chronic medical condition that can cause extreme mood shifts and symptoms like depression, anxiety, irritability, insomnia and more.

“It really affects your moods and your behavior and many different parts of your life,” D’Amelio continued. “I feel like I didn’t realize how much it was affecting me until I got to this point I was in last week.”

She said that for two weeks each month the condition “really disrupts” her life, impacting her attitude, personality, relationships and anxiety.

“I have never been so low … and having no idea what was wrong with me was very alarming,” she explained. “I just felt like I had no control over my body or mind and I had no idea what was wrong but it would turn on and off like a light switch.”

“That was very confusing to me because how can I go one day feeling fine and then the next day not wanting to be here anymore?” D’Amelio continued, admitting that she was struggling with suicidal thoughts.

The social media influencer said the condition is something she’s dealt with for the past seven years but was only recently diagnosed. “I’m very happy that I know what’s wrong because now I can find better ways to handle my emotions.

“I’m feeling better now and I will probably be going through the same thing next month and the month after that,” she added, sharing that she’s still learning about PMDD.

[From People]

That just sounds awful. Hormones can seriously disrupt our lives. I wasn’t familiar with it before this and I really appreciate it when famous people open up about what they’re going through. It definitely helps raise awareness. While I’m on the other side of this now and dealing with perimenopause I remember how hard it was when I was younger too. Health.Harvard.Edu has more on PMDD including how it is diagnosed and treated. It sounds like a multifaceted approach with lifestyle changes and medication is most effective. If you suspect that you or a loved one has PMDD please reach out to a doctor for treatment.

Also her hair is so cute!

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photos credit: Robin Platzer/Twin Images/Avalon and Instagram

Taylor Swift’s Midnights was released last week, and obviously, it’s already breaking all kinds of records. It broke the record for the most Spotify streams in a single day. The album is already the best-selling album of the year, sorry to Beyonce, Adele and Harry Styles. Even I took some time to listen to the album, or as much as I could bear. Like, I’m not part of the Snake Fam whatsoever, but I genuinely think that Taylor has some bops. I enjoyed several songs from Folklore, although I never really got into evermore. Midnights seems to aim to have the more lowkey energy of Folklore, with some of the pop sensibilities of Lover. One of the songs stuck out to me: “Vigilante Sh-t.” The message of the song is: I’m coming for my enemies and I’m helping women hunt for their enemies. Here’s the song:

Spiritually, this feels like the sister track to Reputation’s “I Did Something Bad,” which, in my opinion, was one of the few good songs on Reputation. The lyrics have caused a lot of Snake Conspiracy Theorists to wonder just who Taylor is referencing, especially with “She needed cold, hard proof, so I gave her some/She had the envelope, where you think she got it from?/Now she gets the house, gets the kids, gets the pride/Picture me thick as thieves with your ex-wife.” I also wonder about: “While he was doin’ lines and crossin’ all of mine/Someone told his white-collar crimes to the FBI.”

Some fans insist that at least some of these lyrics are referencing Kanye West and Kim Kardashian. My opinion: Taylor still hates both Kim AND Kanye pretty equally, so no, she’s not giving “proof” to Kim, although Taylor would absolutely turn Kanye over to the FBI. Now, other Swifities suggest that Taylor is referencing Scooter Braun’s now-ex-wife Yael Cohen. Cohen filed for divorce from Scooter last year, and the divorce was finalized recently. Cohen got a $20 million settlement and he has to pay $60K a month in child support. Yeah… Scooter’s net worth is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. I’m sure Yael had dirt on Scooter, but I have my doubts as to whether Taylor provided that dirt. I don’t know. It’s interesting though.

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Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Taylor Swift’s social media.

Currently, The Crown’s Season 6 is in production, filming in Europe. Season 6 will pick up with Tony Blair’s victory and quickly move into Princess Diana’s death in Paris later that summer. It will be interesting to see how Peter Morgan handles the subject matter now, considering he’s “revisiting” that storyline as the screenwriter for 2006’s The Queen, directed by Stephen Frears. Obviously, Season 6 will go through most of Tony Blair’s years as prime minister. What’s interesting is that Peter Morgan now insists that Season 6 won’t go all the way through until 2007, when Blair stepped down. Morgan has been telling people that the series will end on a high note for King Charles III: Charles and Camilla’s 2005 wedding in Windsor.

It will trawl through one of the Royal family’s darkest and most tumultuous periods. But the sixth and final series of The Crown will end on a high for King Charles when it is released next year, show insiders have insisted in the wake of a slew of criticism.

The last episode will depict the wedding of Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles in April 2005, highlighting what proved to be a notable turning point for the monarchy and leaving viewers with a feel-good, positive image of the institution. The dramatisation of the civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall will bring the curtain down on one of the most successful yet controversial dramas in recent history.

The final series, which is currently being filmed and is likely to be released next November, will turn its spotlight on the “adventures and misadventures” of New Labour. A source told The Telegraph that a “chief focus” will be the premiership of Tony Blair. It will also cover the death of Diana in a Paris car crash and chart the lives of Prince William and Prince Harry in the immediate aftermath of their mother’s death. The series will depict Queen Elizabeth II’s thawing towards her future daughter-in-law.

For the King and Queen Consort, as they are now, such celebratory scenes and a focus on largely positive developments will come as a welcome relief.

Writer Peter Morgan said he could not continue beyond the early 2000s as he believed that there should be at least a decade between a real-life event and its fictionalised retelling in order to gain “proper perspective”. He is said to have become irked by the recent criticism, having been keenly focused on historical research and determined not to convey events purely to be “sensational”.

A source defended the high-budget drama, arguing that the Royal scandals dramatised by Morgan were of the family’s own making.

“He purposely seeks to dramatise historical events as they happened,” they said. “He can’t change history, he reflects it – hence the controversial content of season five that is currently under discussion. Royal events took an upward turn post-1997 and, thankfully, a return to political events, so The Crown can return to that.”

[From The Telegraph]

“The series will depict Queen Elizabeth II’s thawing towards her future daughter-in-law…” WHO? Are we talking about Sophie, Countess of Wessex? That would be the only “future daughter in law” around this time frame (Sophie and Edward married in 1999). I find it curious that Morgan would end the series in 2005 and not 2007 though. What is he afraid of? Having to dramatize Prince William and Kate’s infamous 2007 breakup? Anyway, let’s be real – Charles and Camilla’s 2005 wedding was not the beginning of some grand new royal storyline, it simply put a bow on the sh-tshow that was and is Charles and Camilla’s relationship.

Photos courtesy of Netflix, WENN and Avalon Red.

For years, it’s felt like both King Charles and Prince William could not wait to get their hands on the spoils once Queen Elizabeth II passed away. William and Kate postponed their “move to Adelaide Cottage” until the very last minute, seemingly hoping that they wouldn’t have to move into the “cozy” four-bedroom cottage when they had their eye on the whole castle. William and Charles have also both seemed very eager to get their hands on Sandringham (a private estate) and of course, William wanted the Duchy of Cornwall. So… why haven’t we heard about any big royal real estate shuffle? While William and Kate are seemingly happy to be Windsor-based, and they’ve been holding events at Windsor Castle, they haven’t “moved in.” Charles also has zero plans to move into Buckingham Palace. So the two biggest symbolic pieces of royal real estate sit uninhabited.

Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace are both set to stay empty — with no royals moving in permanently following the Queen’s death. It had been thought William and Kate would live in the castle once they became Prince and Princess of Wales. But the family of five — with children George, nine, Charlotte, seven, and Louis, four — have only just settled into their four-bed Adelaide Cottage nearby on the Windsor estate.

Last week, The Sun revealed the King and Queen Consort will not move into Buckingham Palace for at least five years due to a £369million renovation. They will use it as an office while living mostly at nearby Clarence House.

Balmoral Castle, in Scotland, is also set to be opened up to tourists and will also have no royals in official residence. The Queen split her time between Buckingham Palace in the week and Windsor Castle at weekends. She spent her summers at Balmoral and her final few months there.

But a vacant Windsor Castle opens the prospect of Prince Harry and Meghan moving there, should they decide to return to the UK. They were previously disappointed not to get the 1,000-year-old castle after they wed, receiving much smaller Frogmore Cottage instead.

A source said: “It was previously said that William and Kate would move into Windsor Castle, but there are no plans for them to leave Adelaide Cottage.”

The couple moved from Kensington Palace in September, so they can do the school run. They spent no money on refurbs. The Sussexes paid back the £2.4million they spent doing up Frogmore.

[From The Sun]

The Sussexes never wanted the run of Windsor Castle or to be the sole royals living there, they simply asked for their own apartment(s) within the castle. They were told no, and given that dilapidated shack, Frogmore Cottage. I think it’s hilarious that the Sun is trying to make it sound like Harry and Meghan could come back and move into Windsor Castle… all while William and Kate made do in Adelaide Cottage? Please. If anything, mentioning the possibility of the Sussexes getting the castle will force William to move in even faster.

Since QEII’s passing, I have idly wondered what would have happened, real-estate-wise, if Harry and Meghan had never Sussexited. I’m not looking to write a dissertation on this, I just wonder how Charles would have shuffled the real estate if H&M had stayed. William and Kate would have moved into Windsor Castle already, I’m sure. Charles clearly wanted to hold onto Clarence House no matter what. So would Harry and Meghan just… stay in Frogmore Cottage? LOL.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

At the end of the day, I found the “nanny” interviews to be super-creepy. Jason Sudeikis and Olivia Wilde had a nanny for their two children for several years, then they fired the nanny – reportedly her name is Erika Genaro – in 2021. Genaro was there for Jason and Olivia’s breakup, and Olivia’s affair with Harry Styles. She gave her exclusive to the Daily Mail and I would assume she was paid a nice sum for all of the receipts she provided, including texts from Jason. Did I pore over everything? No. I read one of those Mail stories and got the gist of it, and I saw that Jason and Olivia issued a joint statement about Genaro, saying that she’s made “false and scurrilous accusations” and she’s gone on a campaign of harassment. I don’t know. It’s a big fat mess, is what it is. So I’m going to ignore a lot of it, but this one story made me gasp out loud. Genaro claims that before Olivia started banging Harry Styles, Florence Pugh had a fling with Styles. Thus, Olivia and Florence’s beef?

It’s the one question on everyone’s lips: why did Florence Pugh exactly fall out with Olivia Wilde?

Well, Wilde’s former nanny has alleged that Pugh, in fact, had a fling with Harry Styles before Wilde started dating him.

The nanny — named as Erika Genaro by TMZ and confirmed by sources to Page Six — made the claims in a blockbuster interview with the Daily Mail this week.

In a video posted online, Genaro claimed that Sudeikis told her that “Flo was f–king Harry and she had a boyfriend.” Pugh split with longtime love Zach Braff earlier this year.

As Page Six previously revealed, Pugh fell out with Wilde during filming, as multiple sources told us that the Britstar was unhappy that Wilde, her director on “Don’t Worry Darling,” and Styles, her co-star, hooking up on the Palm Springs set. One industry source told us, “I can tell you for a fact that Flo seeing Olivia and Harry all over each other on set did not go down well as Olivia was still with Jason when she first hooked up with Harry.”

[From Page Six]

So… the nanny, Erika Genaro, says that Jason Sudeikis told her that Florence was “f–king Harry” while Florence was still technically dating Zach Braff? I believe that was probably something Jason said to Genaro, but that doesn’t make it true. Personally, I believe Olivia’s affair with Harry probably started very quickly in the DWD production, and I believe Olivia was actively pursuing Harry from Day 1. I simply don’t think Harry would have time to hook up with Florence, nor do I honestly believe that Florence would have cheated on Braff. I mean, she was ride-or-die for Braff? I don’t buy this as an explanation for why Olivia and Florence fell out either – I think Florence was simply appalled by Olivia’s lack of professionalism, her behavior and her general assholery.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid, Avalon Red.

We’ve already had more than a month of screaming, crying and throwing up from the Windsors when it comes to The Crown. The fifth season of the Netflix drama premieres on November 9th, two weeks away. Y’all better prepare yourselves for two more weeks of royal tantrums, that’s all I’ll say. What’s funny is that it’s clearly just King Charles who is beside himself with anxiety. But he knows it’s not like he can come out and say “they’re going to be mean to me” and “how dare they dramatize the awful way I treated Diana!” So the king has given little “tasks” to his friends, associates and political allies to carry out. Over the weekend, an unnamed family friend ran to the Times to cry about how the series is “vicious” and how Harry should be ashamed of himself:

The close friend of the royal family, who attended the Queen’s committal in Windsor, strongly criticised Netflix, which has resisted calls for a fictional disclaimer before each episode.

The friend said: “I’m horrified by what is going on with Netflix and how they are vilifying the royal family. It is vicious. It’s as if they’re trying to destroy the royal family.”

Asked what Queen Elizabeth would have made of the plot lines, the friend said: “It would have destroyed her.” She added that it put the Duke of Sussex “in the most invidious position”, given his lucrative deal with the streaming giant. “If I had my family being vilified like that, I wouldn’t take a penny [from Netflix].”

[From The Times]

Charles is setting himself up for such awful stories once the series comes out. Because he’s raised such a fuss, everyone will feel the need to “fact check” what’s in The Crown with the actual historical receipts, and all of that will A) look worse for Charles and B) extend The Crown’s power and narrative and C) make Charles look “vicious” and sadistic. Speaking of sadism, one of Princess Diana’s old friends got a call from the new king:

Diana’s close friend Simone Simmons told The Sun that the hit drama risked forcing Princes William and Harry to recall “the most painful time” of their lives.

She said: “These are cruel, sadistic and wicked people to recreate these moments. They are the lowest of the low. They are rewriting history as they go along and that’s what makes me very angry. Netflix are deliberately reviving the most painful time in the boys’ lives. It’s forcing them to relive the pain, agony, and psychological torment they suffered when their mother died. I think it’s disgusting and sick. Why are they setting out to upset William and Harry? The makers of this programme do not care about the heir to the throne and everything he has been through. Why do these callous, insensitive people feel the need to recreate that horrible day? They are going out of their way to hurt the Royal Family.”

[From The Sun]

Considering Simone Simmons was such a good friend to Diana, you’d think she would spare a thought for her friend Diana, who was treated so abominably by the Windsors? All Diana wanted was to survive all of the pain and torment that family put her through, and to tell her story. As for Diana’s adult sons… William has clearly said on the record that he thinks his mother was paranoid and delusional. William and Charles want to solely own Diana’s life and memory for their own narratives… all while Harry, his mother’s son, has shown the world how little has changed in the House of Windsor.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, The Crown/Netflix.

It’s weird to think about how covid changed so much and there’s this new, not quite back to normal situation, and we’re all just living with it. President Biden said it’s over, but people are still getting it and people still need shots for it. Around the end of this year, Pfizer’s government contract will end and they will begin charging $110-130 per dose. However, insurance will still allow most people to get vaccinated for free or cheaply. And Pfizer has an income-based assistance program for uninsured folks as well.

Pfizer is raising the “commercial list price” for its coronavirus vaccines.

The pharmaceutical company said Friday that the drug will cost between $110 to $130 per dose once its government contract ends, according to the Associated Press, though many will continue to receive the shot for free.

New prices could go into effect as soon as early 2023, depending on when the government phases out its own distribution program, the outlet said.

Angela Lukin, Pfizer’s global primary care & U.S. president, explained that increased prices are due to the costs of switching from multi-dose to single-dose vials and commercial distribution. Lukin added that the new prices are still below the level of “what would be considered a highly effective vaccine,” per the AP.

Since the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover the costs of most recommended vaccines without charging out-of-pocket, many will pay little to nothing. People with coverage through private insurance or public programs like Medicare and Medicaid will also likely pay nothing.

Pfizer also has an income-based assistance program to help uninsured people in the U.S. receive a vaccination.

The new estimated list price for Pfizer’s COVID vaccine is comparable to that of other adult vaccines, such as hepatitis and shingles, which can range from around $64 to $171, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Coronavirus vaccines and boosters are expected to remain free until the government ends its public health emergency declaration over the COVID-19 pandemic or depletes its federally acquired supply, according to a report published Tuesday by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF).

[From People]

It seems like covid is moving the way of the seasonal flu. The CDC is adding the covid vaccine to its recommended immunization schedule for 2023, saying “all adults and children 6 months and older should get the COVID vaccine and booster doses when eligible.” Of course people will continue to decline the vaccine, just as people decline flu shots and others. But hopefully its addition to the schedule alongside many other familiar shots will convince some of the holdouts who felt that the vaccine was developed too quickly, etc. I have plans to get my flu shot and booster at the same time next week. Luckily, I’ve somehow managed to — knock on wood — escape covid and I’d like to continue to do so for as long as possible.  As least I know if I do get it, the vaccine and boosters will mitigate the worst of it.

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Photos credit: CDC via Unsplash and Getty

One of the craziest storylines from the past week has been the political resurrection of Boris Johnson. BoJo was basically forced to resign as prime minister after a wave of scandals plagued his government, specifically with his handling of the pandemic. BoJo and his cronies were throwing parties at 10 Downing Street all while enforcing strict Covid lockdowns, and then everything just kept getting worse and worse from there. BoJo announced he was stepping down as prime minister once there was a leadership race for the Tories, and Liz Truss was found to be the best candidate. Boris handed Downing Street over to Truss on September 6th, when they both met with Queen Elizabeth II at Balmoral. Two days later, QEII died and forty-two days after that, Truss resigned after a wave of bad policy and Tory-on-Tory crime. Boris saw his chance and decided to throw his hat into the proverbial ring, thinking that perhaps the time was right for a political resurrection and a return to 10 Downing Street not even two full menstrual cycles after he left in disgrace. Then on Sunday, Boris suddenly dropped out of the leadership race!!

Former PM Boris Johnson has pulled out of the Tory leadership race, saying he had the support needed to stand but it would not be “the right thing to do”.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak and cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt remain in the contest – with Mr Sunak way ahead on declared support from MPs.

Mr Johnson said there was a “very good chance” he would have been successful, and “back in Downing Street on Friday”. But he said there needed to be “a united party in Parliament”.

The race began on Thursday after Liz Truss resigned as prime minister after 45 days in the job. Nominations for the ballot close on Monday afternoon, and candidates need the support of at least 100 Conservative MPs to go forward. The BBC’s latest tally of publicly declared backers puts Mr Sunak on 155 and Ms Mordaunt on 25.

Mr Johnson had 54, according to this tally – although he said he had 102. Not all of the 357 MPs have gone public with whom they are backing.

It is possible Mr Sunak could become prime minister by Monday, and there will definitely be a new prime minister by the end of the week.

Mr Johnson said he had been attracted by the race because “I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now. A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.”

[From BBC]

I’ve seen some British political analysts say that BoJo dropped out because he didn’t have the votes in the leadership race, and even if he did have the votes, his party would have still been in open revolt against him, to the point where he wouldn’t have been able to even fill his cabinet. So… at least British people were spared that particular storyline: Boris blundering his way back into Downing Street like nothing had happened. Anyway, good luck Salt Island. Y’all are gonna need it.

Photos courtesy of Mark Stewart /Avalon and Kirsty O’Connor/Avalon.