Former British Chancellor Rishi Sunak said on Friday he was on the run to replace him Boris Johnson after Johnson announced the previous day that he would step down as prime minister.
Someone has to seize this moment and make the right decisions. That’s why I stand to be the next Conservative Party leader and your prime minister,” Sunak said in a campaign video on Twitter.
Sunak stepped down as Treasury Secretary on Tuesday, one of two unexpected resignations that set in motion a series of events leading up to Johnson’s decision to resign.
The rules and timetable for the game to replace Johnson will be set by a party committee next week.
Sunak said in his letter of resignation that it had become clear that his approach to the economy had been too different from Johnson’s as the two had tried to agree on the next steps for the country.
He continued on that theme in his candidacy announcement video.
“The decisions we make today will decide whether the next generation of Britons will also have a chance for a better future,” he said.
“Are we approaching this moment with honesty, seriousness, and determination? Or are we telling ourselves comforting fairy tales that may make us feel better right now, but will make our kids worse off tomorrow?”
Boris Johnson’s future successors to lead the Conservative Party are quietly embarking on their leadership campaigns after the prime minister announced his resignation yesterday.
No clear favorite has emerged since the prime minister’s unusual resignation speech outside number 10, in which he mourned the ‘eccentric’ Tory uprising that eventually forced him to quit.
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and ex-minister Michael Gove, described by a No. 10 source as “a snake” after he turned against Johnson, have excluded themselves.
But about a dozen MPs would prepare campaigns or solicit support.
The overcrowded match threatens to resemble “crazy racessaid back bencher Steve Brine.
Former Chancellor Sunak and ex Health Minister Sajid Javid effectively launched their bids for the top job by shutting down Tuesday night. However, both contenders kept their heads down when the prime minister finally accepted yesterday that the match was underway.
Ben Wallace also remained silent, defending his decision to remain Secretary of Defense as “an obligation to keep this country safe”. He is seen as a favorite among members and tops the party base’s online Conservative Home poll this week.
Secretary of Commerce Penny Mordaunt is also seen as a serious contender. The ardent Leave campaigner came in second after Mr. Wallace in this week’s poll.
Tom Tugendhat got a big boost over Jeremy Hunt in his bid to win the support of the Tory moderates when Damian Green, leader of the One Nation caucus, backed him to become the next prime minister.
Mr Green told Sky News“Making a fresh start with someone who is not in cabinet and determined to restore the highest standards is exactly what the country wants. You can bet that Tom will run.”
Mr Tugendhat, a Remainer at the 2016 Brexit referendum and chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, was the first to announce his intention to run for president in January by making his statement.
Mr Hunt, the former health minister who understood he was excited about a second leadership offer, kept quiet yesterday.
Nadhim Zahawi would also consider a leadership offer, despite a 48-hour whirlwind in which he was named chancellor on Tuesday before returning to Downing Street the following evening to inform Mr Johnson his time was up. Zahawi has been working “in secret” with close allies of Tory election strategist Lynton Crosby for months on a potential leadership campaign The times†
It is not yet clear whether Home Secretary Priti Patel or Transport Secretary Grant Shapps can throw in their hats. Johnson’s loyalists were also part of a delegation of ministers who entered No. 10 Wednesday evening to tell the prime minister that his time was up.
Foreign Minister Liz Truss, a 2016 Remainer who bolstered her credentials with Brexiteers with her tough stance on the protocol, broke off her trip to Indonesia yesterday, calling for “calm and unity” in the coming weeks. Tory ally Alec Shelbrooke said he would support Mrs Truss as leader. “When I look at what we need to do to deliver the manifesto, get those Brexit benefits… Liz Truss will be the best person to deliver that,” said the Remain campaigner.
Steve Baker, the self-proclaimed Brexit hardman, said he is considering throwing his hat in the ring. Asked by TalkTV who would be in his first cabinet, the ex-chairman of the European Research Group mentioned Mr Wallace and Mr Sunak.
Northern Research Group leader Jake Berry would also consider a leadership offer. Although he has been in parliament since 2010, he remains an influential figure among many of the ‘red wall’ MPs who won seats in the North and Midlands in 2019.
There has been speculation that the influx of younger MPs in 2019 could agree on a “new generation” candidate. But one MP in the group said there is no plan at this point to have anyone come forward.
Attorney General Suella Braverman told ITV’s Peston on Wednesday that she would put her name in the ring.
The executive of the 1922 commission is under pressure to reduce the initial number of candidates to two by July 21, when parliament breaks for the summer.
A member husting process is expected to last about a month before a new leader is elected and a new prime minister appointed in early September. (© Independent News Service)
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