Five candidates on the starting line to succeed Boris Johnson
A Britain's Conservative Party leadership race begins as Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on Thursday.
The current British Secretary of State for Transport became the fifth candidate to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday as Defense Minister Ben Wallace decided not to stand, leaving for the #x27;time ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak the only heavyweight in the race.
Two days after the announcement of the resignation of Boris Johnson, weakened through scandals and repeated resignations in his cabinet, his potential successors continue to reveal their intentions.
Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps announced his candidacy promising a strategic and sober government. This experienced MP, who cut his teeth in the cabinet of former Prime Minister David Cameron in 2010, is not one of the favorites in the polls.
Three others Also on the starting line are former Equality Secretary Kemi Badenoch, Attorney General Suella Braverman and MP Tom Tugendhat.
The new leader will take the reins of the Conservative Party, the majority in the House of Commons. The race could last several months.
On Friday, ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak, 42, was the first high-profile contender to launch his candidacy in a particularly polished video, to the point of fueling suspicion about x27; a long-prepared candidacy.
Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak formalized his candidacy the day after Boris Johnson resigned.
In this clip which recorded seven million views on Saturday, Mr. Sunak promises to restore confidence, rebuild the economy and reunite the country.
Long a favorite to enter Downing Street if Boris Johnson fell, Rishi Sunak found himself significantly weakened a few months ago after the revelation of the advantageous tax status which benefited his wealthy wife, which allowed him to avoid paying tax on his income abroad to the British tax authorities.
He had also suffered from a response deemed insufficient by the #x27;public opinion in the face of the cost of living crisis in a UK plagued by 9% inflation, a 40-year high.
The announcement of his candidacy, to which several MPs immediately rallied, has apparently created a rebound: a poll carried out on Friday for Channel 4 among 493 party members gives him the preferred candidate of the Conservatives (25% ), ahead of Foreign Minister Liz Truss (21%).
The fact remains that the faithful of Boris Johnson did not digest the attitude of Mr. Sunak, the Financial Times evoking enormous anger towards him within the team of the outgoing Prime Minister on Saturday.
Rishi Sunak was one of the first to quit government on Tuesday night, apparently without even telling Boris Johnson, along with Health Minister Sajid Javid. These two almost simultaneous resignations had triggered a politically fatal haemorrhage for the hero of Brexit.
The state of the party promises a very open competition, in which Secretary of State for Foreign Trade Penny Mordaunt and Sajid Javid are also strong contenders. However, none of them has made their candidacy official.
The former British Minister of Health, Sajid Javid, has not indicated his intention to succeed Boris Johnson.
On the other hand, another big name who was among the favorites, Defense Minister Ben Wallace , decided on Saturday not to show up.
Despite broad support and a prominent role in UK policy towards Ukraine, Mr Wallace said he wanted to focus on his current job and ensure the security of the country.
UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace
In a context of crisis in the cost of living, taxation should play an important role in the race. Up to fifteen applications are anticipated in total.
Faced with the prospect of such an influx, an increase in the number of sponsorships and votes required in the first part of the nomination process is being considered, explained a member of the 1922 Committee, responsible for the internal organization of the party. And this, so that the two finalists can be known within two weeks, before the summer parliamentary truce which begins on July 22.
The final vote of the members of the Conservative Party – 160,000 voters in the last internal election of 2019 – would then take place between now and the start of the school year, according to the scenario that seems to be emerging in the British press.
By announcing its resignation, Boris Johnson has indicated that he intends to remain in Downing Street until the new leader of the party is elected.