After Boris Johnson's resignation due to an unprecedented political crisis, maneuvers were launched on Friday to replace him as British Prime Minister. Rishi Sunak, his former finance minister was among the first to prepare himself for his successor.
"I am running for the position of next leader of the Conservative Party, and as your Prime Minister. Rishi Sunak tweeted Friday evening, "Let's restore trust, rebuild the economy, and bring the nation together." He added, "My values are not negotiable, patriotism and justice, as well as hard work," in a polished video that emphasized the importance of his family.
According to a poll of 493 members of Channel 4, he is the Conservatives' preferred candidate (25%), beating Liz Truss (21%).
The lead in the previous poll this week means that Defense Minister Ben Wallace is only third with 12%. This volatility suggests a very open competition in which Penny Mordaunt, the Secretary of State for Foreign Trade, and Sajid Javid, the former Minister of Health, are also serious contenders. None of them has declared themselves at this stage.
Rishi Sunak (42), was the first to give up on Tuesday night. He apparently did not tell Boris Johnson and Sajid Javid. Two resignations, just a few moments apart, had opened the door to dozens more elected officials who were critical of Boris Johnson's lack of integrity.
Many MPs supported his candidacy immediately upon hearing it. According to the latest poll, he is the preferred candidate among members of the Conservative Party. Twenty-four percent of them are in his favor.
Kemi Badenoch (ex-Equality Minister) added her candidacy this Saturday to the Conservative Party's list of candidates for the role of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Kemi Badenoch, in an article published by The Times newspaper, called for change. She stated that British opinion is "weary with platitudes" and "void of rhetoric".
Kemi Badenoch, the Equalities Minister, has been criticized by members of the government’s LGBT advisory panel for her delays in banning conversion therapy.
Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat, and Attorney General Suella Braverman officially announced their candidacies.
A source close to Hunt said that Jeremy Hunt, former Health and Foreign Secretary, was "virtually certain", to run again after he lost to Boris Johnson in 2019.
The 1922 Committee, a Conservative parliamentary organization, will announce details of the process to succeed Boris Johnson on Monday. The party's new leader, who will be the Prime Minister of the party (the party with the majority in Parliament), must be chosen before the party's annual convention on October 2, in Birmingham.
James Cleverly, the newly appointed Education Minister, stated that the process for appointing the new Conservative leader will be done "professionally and quickly". However, some elected officials fear a chaotic summer.
