UK’s Conservative Party politician Rishi Sunak hit the minimum threshold for a leadership campaign on Friday night, as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes for a dynamic comeback.

Cabinet member Penny Mordant became the first to formally announce her candidacy after the dramatic resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss forced UK’s ruling party into a second leadership contest.

If his opponent also fails to secure 100 nominations from Conservative MPs, Sunak will automatically become the party leader and prime minister.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, who himself ran for leadership after Johnson’s ouster in July, issued an implied appeal not to follow the scandal-tainted former leader.

“This is not the time to play political games, solve problems or look backward,” Tugendhat, who also backed Sunak, said late Friday. Neither Sunak nor Johnson has publicly announced that they are running.

But Johnson cut short a Caribbean holiday to take part in a speeding race, with Conservative MPs due to vote on Monday and possibly online next week for party membership.

One of Johnson’s closest allies in parliament, James Duddridge, said he had been in touch with his former boss via WhatsApp.

The Sunak and Johnson camps are reportedly looking to negotiate to see if there is room for a unification deal – despite the many unpleasant things that have happened since the former prime minister stepped down.

Moldo, who missed the final runoff after Johnson’s resignation, said she was campaigning for “a fresh start, a united party and leadership of the national interest”.

Labour and other parties believe that only an election can end the months of political chaos instigated by Johnson himself when he was ousted after a series of uninterrupted personal and political scandals.

In the resulting contest, Truss won the support of more than 80,000 Conservative Party members, beating Sunak, who rightly warned that her right-wing debt-fueled tax cuts would collapse the economy. Truss announced Thursday that she would be stepping down after just 44 days in office.