Numerous keen candidates have already declared their interest in the top position in the race to succeed Boris Johnson.
Several prominent cabinet ministers have either previously been outspoken about their desire to lead the Conservative Party or have hinted at their willingness to do so.
After 59 members of his government resigned in less than 48 hours, Mr. Johnson officially announced his resignation on Thursday. Up to the election of a new Conservative leader, he will continue to serve as prime minister.
Before he had made a formal announcement, though, some astute politicians made suggestions about taking on the position.
Ben Wallace
According to a survey of Conservative Party members, the present defence secretary is the front-runner to lead the party.
In a head-to-head matchup, the YouGov survey revealed that Ben Wallace triumphed over the other competitors.
However, a close contest was evident when 716 members of the Conservative party were asked to select just one.
Wallace prevailed against other candidates Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, and Jeremy Hunt when put against one another.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, the former soldier has drawn more attention.
He previously ran Boris Johnson’s fruitless 2017 leadership campaign, and he still supports him.
Liz Truss
The foreign secretary has remained Boris Johnson’s staunchest supporter throughout the turbulence, but she has also long been open about her desire to take the reins of government.
In order to return in time for the official resignation, Liz Truss even cut short a business trip to Indonesia.
She has claimed responsibility in recent months for winning Nazanin Zaghari-release Ratcliffe’s after six years of imprisonment and initiating sanctions against Russia and its oligarchs.
It is believed that she has been preparing for a leadership campaign for several months.
Related
Florida Cop Arrested For Alleged DUI In Marked Police Car
‘The Challenge: USA’ Debut Boosts CBS Viewership; ‘Big Brother’ Wins Night
Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak, a former chancellor, was formerly considered one of the leading candidates to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party.
His popularity increased when he implemented the furlough programme at the beginning of the pandemic, but he has come under fire for reducing the Universal Credit, which was implemented at the same time.
His reputation, however, has taken a hit recently because he was one of the Conservatives fined for breaking the lockdown rules during a Met Police probe.
His frontrunner status was further hurt by the controversy surrounding his wife’s tax status.
However, Mr. Sunak was among the first to leave the government over the handling of the Chris Pincher scandal, which led to a mass flight of officials.
Sajid Javid
Along with Rishi Sunak, Sajid Javid left the government just minutes after Boris Johnson was compelled to apologise for the Chris Pincher scandal, precipitating a wave of over 50 resignations.
In his tough resignation address, the MP for Bromsgrove said that “the problem originates at the top” of the government.
He entered the 2019 leadership election’s final four before withdrawing to back Boris Johnson, thus he is not fresh to the contest for the top post.
The endorsements are already coming in, notably from former education minister Robin Walker, who expressed his desire that both Sajid Javid and Nadhim Zahawi would run for the position of next leader of the Conservative Party.
Nadhim Zahawi
On Thursday morning, early in his second day as Chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi demanded that Boris Johnson “leave now.”
After being appointed as the government’s minister of vaccines in November 2020, Mr. Zahawi enjoyed immediate success. He assisted in directing the vaccine programme. Later, he was given the position of education secretary in the government.
He and his family left Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq and settled in the UK in 1967. He was elected as Stratford-Upon-MP Avon’s in 2010.
Penny Mordaunt
When Penny Mordaunt became the UK’s first female defence secretary, she created history. However, after Boris Johnson was elected prime minister, he fired her.
The vocal Brexiteer and reservist in the Royal Navy has been outspoken in her disapproval of the partygate incident.
She was heavily involved in the Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum and apparently had the support of Dame Andrea Leadsom in the past.
She continues to be well-liked by Conservative supporters and serves as the international trade minister at the moment.
Related
- Joe Biden Returns To In-Person L.A. Fundraisers On Friday With Two DNC Events
- British Arts Streamer Marquee TV Buys Helio Arts & Restructures
Jeremy Hunt
After finishing second to Boris Johnson in the 2019 election, the former foreign secretary and former health secretary has been a vociferous critic of Mr. Johnson.
He has used his position as chairman of the Commons Health Committee to critically comment on the government’s response to the pandemic.
In contrast to many of the other party members, he was a fervent supporter of lockdown procedures.
Suella Braverman
One among the first to publicly announce an unexpected bid for the presidency on Wednesday night was the attorney general.
The MP, though, is most likely to continue to be an outsider in the leadership race. Suella Braverman has supported Boris Johnson for a very long time.
She did demand Boris Johnson’s resignation, but she acknowledged that she hadn’t spoken to him beforehand.
Tom Tugendhat
In January, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee became the first to declare that, should Mr. Johnson be ousted, he would run for leader.
The former soldier, a Remainer in 2016, has been a harsh opponent of Mr. Johnson; this attitude would appear to have cost him any prospect of serving in a ministerial capacity under the current leadership.
He recently tried to distinguish himself from Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Defence Committee and a fellow Remainer, who called for the UK to re-enter the EU single market.
Steve Baker
Former minister Steve Baker said he is confirming that he is seriously considering running for leadership and that several members have already encouraged him to do so.
Despite his reputation as a fervent supporter of Brexit, Mr. Baker was successful in his attempt to depose Theresa May as prime minister, although he is not well-known.
