Boris Johnson's successor to be announced on September 5

Britain's resigning prime minister will not back any of the 11 candidates who want to succeed him.< /p>

Boris Johnson has announced that he will not support any candidate in the running. “I wouldn't want to hurt anyone's chances by offering my support,” he said.

Boris Johnson's successor will be announced on September 5, at the end of a marathon campaign during which the British Prime Minister will not support any of the 11 candidates vying to replace him in Downing Street.

Nominations will open and close on Tuesday, with a first round to begin weeding out candidates scheduled for Wednesday, Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, the Conservative parliamentary group tasked with setting the rules, announced Monday evening. of the ballot.

A second round will follow on Thursday, and a third if necessary will be held next Monday. The aim is to keep only two candidates before the parliamentary recess which begins on July 22.

Candidates will need at least 20 endorsements for their candidacy to be accepted, as well as the vote of at least 30 party MPs for each round.

The final vote, which will appoint the new leader of the Conservative Party, who will become Prime Minister, the Conservatives having a majority in the House, is open only to party members.

Boris Johnson announced on Monday that he would not back any candidate, in an already brutal race that for some is only expected to last a few days.

I wouldn't want to hurt the odds anyone by offering my support,” Mr. Johnson said in his first public appearance since his resounding resignation last Thursday, sparked by a mutiny in his government weary of scandals and lies.

< p class="e-p">Mr Johnson, who will remain in Downing Street until his successor arrives, also said he was determined to carry on with the mandate entrusted to us, adding that the next leader of the government would have a very good program to pursue. However, he declined to comment on the events of the past week, which led to his withdrawal.

In a very open race, three candidates were favored by bookmakers on Monday: former finance minister Rishi Sunak, followed by Penny Mordaunt, secretary of state for international trade and foreign minister Liz Truss.

A Conservative Home site poll of 842 members gave a slightly different trifecta, with Penny Mordaunt in the lead.

Sunday evening, Liz Truss had thrown herself into battle, joining Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid, former health minister, whose resignations last week had started the exodus from government.

< p class="e-p">Tipped, Home Secretary Priti Patel did not specify her intentions on Monday evening.

Among the heavyweights are also Penny Mordaunt and the brand new Minister for Finances Nadhim Zahawi, already attacked on the fact that he would, according to press reports, be the subject of a tax investigation.

Considering that the & #x27;we are trying to smear him, he has promised to publish his tax return every year if he becomes prime minister.

With no obvious favourite, the race began with a rash of attacks and empty promises, in a country in the throes of a cost of living crisis with inflation at 9.1%.

Most of the candidates immediately put tax cuts at the heart of their very right-wing campaigns, without explaining how to finance them.

Liz Truss promised to tackle it from day one. Rishi Sunak, already fiercely attacked by Boris Johnson's allies who accuse him of treason, has warned the opposite about fairy tales that are heartwarming at the moment but will make our children worse off tomorrow .

Labour, the leading opposition party, calculated that the combined ads of the candidates amounted to some 200 billion pounds (364 billion Canadian dollars).

Sky News television announced a debate between the candidates on July 18.