Boris Johnson suffered a surprise blow to his election campaign on day one of the contest when senior Cabinet minister Nicky Morgan announced she was quitting politics.
Morgan, the culture secretary, said members of Parliament had suffered "abuse" and that her family had faced pressure because of her role in public life. She said she would continue to support Johnson in the election taking place on Dec. 12.
"The clear impact on my family and the other sacrifices involved in, and the abuse for, doing the job of a modern MP can only be justified if, ultimately, Parliament does what it is supposed to do," Morgan said in a letter to her local Conservative Party chair that she posted on Twitter. That is to "represent those we serve in all areas of policy, respect votes cast by the electorate and make decisions in the overall national interest."