UK: Rishi Sunak takes first place, succeeding Boris Johnson

Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak increased his lead in the race for prime minister on Monday Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss narrowed the gap in her quest to get between the two finalists.

After Johnson’s dramatic July 7 resignation as leader of the Conservative Party, which will force him to step down as prime minister once the formation finds a successor, a long domestic race to replace him began last week.

Initially, 358 Conservative MPs vote in successive elimination rounds until two finalist candidates are identified on July 21.

For the second time almost 200,000 members Conservative Party They will choose between the two by mail during the summer to determine the winner on September 5th.

Vote Landscape

In the third round of voting of the Conservative deputies, held on Monday, Sunak received 115 votes, ahead of the Minister of International Trade, Penny Mordauntwith 82 and Truss with 71 (7 more than in the second round).

Former Equality Minister Kemi Badenoch came fourth with 58 votes and became chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee. Tom Tugendhatwas eliminated with 31 votes.

Following two televised debates organized over the weekend between these five candidates, Sunak and Truss decided not to participate in the third, scheduled for Tuesday evening on the channel skynewswho was forced to cancel it.

According to the channel, the prospect of a third debate has made British Conservatives fear that too many differences between them will be exposed.

Having shown himself unconvincing during the first debate on Friday, Farm He openly attacked Sunak, a former government colleague whom he accused of pushing the country into a “recession” by raising taxes and social security contributions.

Johnson expresses confidence in his government

Sunak D Farm daggers are dropped from the start of the campaign.

The latter is keen to gain ground as it was relegated to third place in the first three votes after Mordont and from Sunakwho secured a ticket to the final on Monday.

The Minister is a favorite of Johnson’s camp, who is convinced that Sunak he waited for months for the right moment before announcing his resignation on 4 July, setting off a wave that forced the prime minister to resign.

This version was refuted by Sunak’s supporters.

But according to the newspaper Time, Johnson he will call on the expelled candidates to support “anyone but Rishi,” whom he accuses of treason for hastening the resignation of 60 other members of the government and the eventual fall of the conservative leader with his resignation.

UK: Johnson Outlook

Putting an end to his legendary ability to survive political crises, Johnson was forced to resign as he lost the support of the party due to the numerous scandals surrounding him and undermining the electoral prospects of the conservatives in planned legislative in 2024.

Paradoxically, the deputies had to vote in parliament for the support of the government Johnson that on Monday he submitted a vote of confidence. The Conservatives, including the rebels, could not reject him lest they become embroiled in a potentially disastrous early election for the party at this time.

“I think this is one of the most dynamic governments of our time, not only overcoming adversity on a scale that we haven’t seen in centuries, but also overcoming adversity,” the prime minister said during the debate. pandemic.

The executive branch initiated this vote of confidence on technical grounds in response to an attempted vote of no confidence by the Labor opposition, for which it is “unbearable” that Johnson remain at the head of the government until September.

(According to AFP)