The race to succeed Boris Johnson has intensified now that his prime ministership is over.
The country’s 68million people do not elect the prime ministers of the UK. Instead, the party with the highest number of votes in the general election chooses them. The Conservative Party won the 2019 election by a wide margin.
Fellow lawmakers will first choose Johnson’s successor as leader of Tories. They will then narrow down the candidate list to two final candidates. The new leader will then be chosen by a postal ballot of the party’s 180,000 members.
It is likely that the process will take several weeks. This timetable was set by the 1922 Committee which represents backbench legislators who are not on the government’s payroll.
Tony Travers, professor of politics at the London School of Economics, stated that the Conservatives would seek a leader who is “a bit less interesting” than Johnson.
He said, “Less thrilling, but more competent.”
These are the top-ranking candidates for the U.K’s next prime minister, based in part on a YouGov poll of Tory members on Wednesday:
Rishi Sunak (42), former Chancellor of Exchequer (finance Minister) said that he decided to “grip” the moment by announcing his candidacy for leadership in a video campaign on Friday. He pledged to rebuild the economy, and restore trust in Conservative Party.
He said that he would give every person the same opportunities as his grandmother, an immigrant from the U.K. This pro-immigrant message may be rejected by some Tories who are hardliners.
Sunak, who introduced an economic rescue package that included a costly job retention program, which prevented mass unemployment during the Covid-19 epidemic, was considered the most likely candidate to be the next leader. His popularity plummeted after a string of unpopular economic decisions and revelations that his multimillionaire spouse had not been paying British tax.
Sunak Javid and Sajid Javid (the former health secretary) were the first Cabinet ministers to resign Tuesday night.
Tom Tugendhat (49), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons, declared his candidacy for leadership in the Daily Telegraph. He said he would give the party a “clean slate.”
Consistent Johnson critic would be a good option for Conservatives, but he has never served in government. He was a soldier in Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Johnson campaigned against Brexit and he voted for it.
According to YouGov, Penny Mordaunt was the second most popular potential candidate among Tories.
Johnson fired her immediately as defense secretary after she endorsed Hunt in the 2019 election.
Mordaunt (49), a Royal Navy reservist and rejoined Cabinet later. She is currently a junior minister for trade. She is a strong Brexit supporter, and campaigned strongly for the U.K.’s exit from the European Union before the 2016 referendum.
Although Mordaunt isn’t officially in the race, she has been described as a “dark horses” for the Conservative Party’s leadership.
On Thursday, amid feverish speculation over Johnson’s future, and as resignations poured in, she preached calm.
She wrote that “our institutions are strong” on Twitter. “There will be a solution to this. “The outcome is already known.”
She was a contestant on “Splash,” which is a reality TV show in which celebrities learn how to dive.
Conservatives love Elizabeth Truss, Foreign Secretary, 46. She was at the forefront of British response to Russia’s invasion in Ukraine.
She initially opposed Brexit, but she later supported it after a 2016 referendum.
Truss was the secretary of state for international commerce during Johnson’s first two years. As Britain’s chief negotiator to the E.U., she was named. As talks about the U.K.’s relationship to the continent became more fractured, she took a more aggressive line last year.
Truss claimed Johnson had her 100 percent backing on Tuesday. However, by Thursday, when Johnson announced that he was bowing to the pressure to quit, Truss supported Johnson’s decision to resign.
She said Johnson’s government had “many accomplishments”, but Truss called for calm, as she welcomed Johnson’s resignation within minutes.
She wrote on Twitter, “We need calmness now and unity to continue governing while a leader is found.”
Suella Braverman (42), an attorney general and a strong Brexit supporter, stated live on TV that she would enter the leadership race. Her attempt to violate international law in Northern Ireland regarding post-Brexit trade rules has drawn heavy criticism.
In the wake of the European Court of Human Rights’ decision to block a government plan for deporting immigrants to Rwanda, she made headlines.
Kemi Badenoch (42), was elected to Parliament in 2017. She has also held junior ministerial positions, including the current one as equalities minister. This minister addresses discrimination and gender inequality. In The Times, she announced her candidacy and promised to “tell truth”.
In a joint action with four other 2017 members of parliament intake, she resigned last Wednesday. She is one of the youngest potential candidates.
Johnson’s former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt (55), was Johnson’s opponent in the 2019 election. He stated earlier this year that his desire to be the prime minister had not completely vanished.
Hunt was also the health secretary and chaired Parliament’s Health Select Committee.
Hunt, who was against Brexit, said he voted against Johnson in June’s no-confidence vote, which the prime minister won by a smaller-than-expected margin. Hunt is considered one of the moderate candidates to succeed Johnson.
Nadhim Zahawi (55) faced a series of career changes after being appointed education secretary on Monday, and elevated to the position of chancellor at the exchequer Tuesday.
Amazingly, Zahawi called on Johnson to resign within 36 hours of accepting the second job from Sunak.
Analysts have long considered him a candidate for the presidency, but this week’s maneuverings were seen as damaging his standing with the party and the public.
Sajid Javid (52), was the former Health Secretary and was the first to quit Johnson’s Cabinet. He spoke passionately in Parliament Wednesday to say that the problem starts at the top.
Javid also served as finance minister. He was fourth in the 2019 leadership election.
Priti Patel (50), a hardline Home Secretary who was responsible for terrorism, immigration and policing, didn’t quit before Johnson resigned. She said that her job required that she concentrate on “the business side of the government” and “our national security.”
Patel is a prominent figure, deeply dislikable by the Labour Party supporters. She has tried to curb immigration during her term in office and was seen as a loyal Johnson supporter.
Ben Wallace, 52; Dominic Raab 48; and Michael Gove 54 were considered leadership contenders, but they have now announced that they are not interested in the top job.
After Johnson asked Gove to resign, Gove was fired as the “leveling-up” housing and communities secretary.
Raab, the deputy Prime Minister, was not allowed to serve as interim prime minister since Johnson announced his intention to remain on the job until the next leader assumes the helm.
On Saturday, Wallace announced that he would not run for party leader after emerging as the favourite among Conservatives.
