Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak is the front-runner to become the UK’s next head of government after Boris Johnson chose not to run for office and Penny Mordaunt, another candidate, did not get the support needed to compete initially.
2:00 p.m. local time this Monday, the deadline for deputies aspiring to lead Tori submit their candidacies, provided that they have secured the support of at least 100 members of the conservative parliamentary group (out of a total of 357).
According to media accounts, Sunak already has the support of 154 deputies and Mordaunt only 25.
The so-called 1922 Committee, which includes MPs without cabinet positions, orchestrated the process after Liz Truss resigned last Thursday from her position as Conservative Leader and Prime Minister as a result of controversy over her fiscal program – with tax cuts – causing unrest. in the financial markets.
Last night, Johnson – who resigned as prime minister last July – announced his decision not to look to leadership again and noted that he had come to the conclusion that it “simply wouldn’t be the right thing to do” because “you can’t To govern effectively unless you have a unified party in Parliament.
Meanwhile, Sunak announced his aspirations on Sunday via his Twitter account, in which he said that the UK was facing a “deep economic crisis” and that his goal was to overcome this situation and unite his party.
“The choice our party makes now will decide whether the next generation of Britons will have more chances than the previous generation,” Sunak said. “That’s why I’m running for your next prime minister and Conservative leader.”
The politician added that he was responsible for the economy in the “most difficult moments” for the country, referring to the pandemic, but the current challenges are greater.
“There will be integrity, professionalism, and accountability at every level of government I lead, and I will work all the time to get the job done,” he said.
The leader of the Conservative Party in the House of Commons, Penny Mordaunt, joined this primary last Friday.
Amid this crisis, Labor leader Keir Starmer in the opposition has reiterated his demand for an early general election due to the chaos in which the Conservatives are drowning.
Unless Sunak is the only one with enough support, which will automatically make him the new Conservative leader, there will be a vote this afternoon among Tory MPs to see what level of support the two candidates – Sunak and Mordaunt – have in their training. .
After this “initial” vote, party members will be able to vote this week online for one of them, before the name of the winner is announced this Friday – the 28th -.
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