Potential Cameron Challenger Johnson to Stand as British MP
London Mayor Boris Johnson indicated Wednesday that he would stand for election to the House of Commons next year, a move that could eventually position him as a successor to Prime Minister David Cameron.
The comments from Johnson, known for his messy shock of blond hair and clownish soundbites, end months of speculation about whether he would return to national politics.
Some in Cameron's Conservative Party see Johnson as a popular figure with a high profile who could be a successful future leader if he were to win a seat at next May's general election.
"In all probability I will try to find somewhere to stand in 2015," Johnson said following a speech in London.
But Johnson, 50, also said he intended to serve out his full term as London's mayor, which does not end until 2016.
He has always played down his chances of eventually becoming prime minister, saying they were about as good as those "of finding Elvis on Mars or my being reincarnated as an olive."
Cameron's Conservatives, currently senior partners in a coalition government, face a tough fight to win next year's election.
A YouGov/Sun poll out Wednesday put the Conservatives on 33 percent, the main opposition Labour on 38 percent, junior coalition partners the Liberal Democrats on eight percent and the anti-EU UK Independence Party on 12 percent.
Johnson and Cameron are old rivals who attended the elite Eton College and Oxford University together.
Despite their long rivalry, Cameron welcomed the announcement as "great news", writing on Twitter: "I've always said I want my star players on the pitch."
In recent days, Johnson has been setting out his stall with a series of comments on high-profile issues including Israeli operations in Gaza, which he called "utterly horrifying and unacceptable".
Johnson's speech on Wednesday addressed Britain's role in the European Union ahead of an in-out referendum on membership to be held in 2017 if the Conservatives win the election.
He said Brussels was afflicted by "sclerosis" and that a British exit from the EU could be a "win-win" if London was unable to secure reforms which it believes are necessary.
Source: Agence France Presse
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