Three new high-ranking candidates to succeed Boris Johnson were announced on Saturday night, two days after Johnson's resignation. This brings the total number of applicants to eight.
Savid Javid was not the only candidate. Former foreign and health minister Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi, the new finance minister, also ran. The current British Secretary for State for Transport was their predecessor. Rishi Sunak, an ex-finance minister, is one of the heavyweights in the race.
The competition for the Conservative Party's head and Downing Street could last for several months, with the Tories holding the majority in the House of Commons.
Grant Shapps, Transport Secretary, announced his candidacy, promising a "strategic and restrained" government. He is an experienced MP, who worked in the cabinet of David Cameron in 2010 but is not among the favourites in the polls.
There were only three other candidates who also registered: the former Secretary for State for Equality Kemi Badenoch, the Attorney General Suella Braverman, and the deputy Tom Tugendhat.
Rishi Sunak (42), the former Minister for Finance, was the first major suitor Friday to announce his candidacy. It was a very licked video that fueled suspicions of candidacy and betrayal.
This clip has been viewed seven million times on Saturday. He promises to "restore faith", rebuild the economy, and unify the country.
Rishi Sunak was long a favourite to be the next to go to Downing Street in the event of Boris Johnson's death, but he found himself significantly weaker after learning about the tax advantages enjoyed by his wife. This allowed him to avoid paying tax on income earned overseas to the UK tax authorities.
In a United Kingdom that was plagued by high inflation (more than 9%), his response to the crisis of cost of living had been inadequate.
His candidacy announcement, which was immediately supported by many MPs, seems to have created a rebound: A Friday poll of 493 party members for Channel 4 ranked him as the preferred candidate of Conservatives (25%), ahead Foreign Minister Liz Truss (21%), who has yet to declare herself.
Boris Johnson's faithful have not yet absorbed Rishi Sunak's attitude to the "Financial Times", evoking Saturday a "huge animus" towards him in the team of the outgoing Prime Minster. Rishi Sunak, together with Sajid Javid, the Health Minister, was among those who resigned from government on Tuesday night. The political hemorhage caused by these two seemingly simultaneous resignations was caused by the hero of Brexit.
The party's state suggests that there is a wide-ranging competition. Penny Mordaunt (Secretary of State for Foreign Trade), and Sajid Javid, who didn't declare themselves, are serious contenders. On Saturday, Ben Wallace, the Defense Minister, was another heavyweight and one of the favourites.
Taxation is expected to play a significant role in the competition in the current cost-of-living crisis. There are up to 15 applications. A member of the 1922 Committee responsible for the internal organization and sponsorship of the party suggested that there is an increase in votes and sponsorships required to meet the potential influx. This is so that the two finalists are known in two weeks before the summer truce, which starts on July 22.
According to British media reports, the final vote of Conservative Party members - 160,000 votes in the previous internal election of 2019- would take place at the beginning of the school year.
Boris Johnson announced his resignation and stated that he would remain in Downing Street until the next leader of the party is elected.
