ove ▁was ▁not ▁a ▁candidate , ▁having ▁said ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁no ▁interest ▁in ▁becoming ▁Prime ▁Minister . ▁Instead , ▁he ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁a ▁strong , ▁highly ▁influ ential ▁supp orter ▁of ▁Bor is ▁Johnson ▁for ▁that ▁role . ▁In ▁a ▁move ▁that ▁surprised ▁most ▁political ▁anal yst s , ▁G ove ▁with d rew ▁his ▁support ▁for ▁Johnson ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁hours ▁before ▁the ▁dead line , ▁without ▁any ▁previous ▁notice ▁to ▁Johnson ▁and ▁announced ▁his ▁own ▁candid acy ▁in ▁the ▁leadership ▁election . ▁Sub sequently , ▁Johnson ▁decl ined ▁to ▁run . ▁ ▁The ▁Daily ▁Te legraph ▁op ined ▁that ▁G ove ' s ▁actions ▁in ▁und erm ining ▁Johnson ' s ▁leadership ▁asp ir ations ▁constit uted ▁" the ▁most ▁spect ac ular ▁political ▁assass ination ▁in ▁a ▁generation " ▁while ▁The ▁Guardian ▁label led ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁" M ach ia vel li an ▁move ". ▁ ▁G ove ▁said : ▁" I ▁wanted ▁to ▁help ▁build ▁a ▁team ▁behind ▁Bor is ▁Johnson ▁so ▁that ▁a ▁politician ▁who ▁argued ▁for ▁leaving ▁the ▁European ▁Union ▁could ▁lead ▁us ▁to ▁a ▁better ▁future . ▁But ▁I ▁have ▁come , ▁rel uct antly , ▁to ▁the ▁conclusion ▁that ▁Bor is ▁cannot ▁provide ▁the ▁leadership ▁or ▁build ▁the ▁team ▁for ▁the ▁task ▁ahead . ▁I ▁have , ▁therefore , ▁decided ▁to ▁put ▁my ▁name ▁forward ▁for ▁the ▁leadership . ▁I ▁want ▁there ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁open ▁and ▁positive ▁debate ▁about ▁the