Boris Johnson will announce by the summer he will stand for Parliament at next year’s general election, it has been reported.
The Daily Mail reported "friends of the London Mayor" said he would make the announcement "to avoid speculation on his future overshadowing the Tory campaign".
The tabloid quoted them as saying that Johnson felt he had to make his intentions known before his party's national conference in October, the last before the election next May.
The Daily Mail reported Johnson would announce by summer that he will stand in 2015
"Boris knows he needs to end the speculation soon – he knows he can’t leave it until conference," an anonymous friend told the paper. "He will make an announcement in the summer."
Johnson resigned from the Commons on being elected London Mayor in 2008. His personal popularity in that role has fueled rumours he would return to Parliament and ultimately seek the Tory leadership.
In March, Prime Minister David Cameron said he was keen to have Johnson "back on the team" in Parliament.
He said: "I want him to get back in Parliament. I think he's great. It's a bit like football - if you have got a great striker you want him on the pitch.
"It's up to him. He can complete as Mayor, or he can stay on as Mayor and come back to the House. I want him on the team."
When asked about rumours Johnson wanted to be prime minister, Cameron said: "It wouldn't be a great job to have if people didn't want it. There is nothing ignoble about wanting my job."