The race to replace Boris Johnson as the leader of the Conservative party and prime minister began today, after the unprecedented political crisis that led to his resignation, with former finance minister Rishi Sunak one of the first to line up, claiming the positions.
Johnson resigned on Thursday after many government and party figures abandoned him amid the ongoing scandals that have marked the former Brexit hero’s three-year stay in power. From Tuesday to Thursday, 60 ministers, deputy ministers and other aides submitted their resignations, leaving him with no other choice.
“I will be running for the leadership of the Conservative party and the Prime Ministership. Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country,” Sunak said on Twitter. “My values are non-negotiable, patriotism, justice and hard work,” he added in this video where he emphasizes the importance of family.
A poll of 493 party members, for Channel 4, shows he is the Conservatives’ preferred candidate, with 25%. Next is Secretary of State Liz Truss, with 21%. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who in an earlier poll this week was leading voters, is now down to third place, with 12%. Foreign Trade Secretary Penny Mordaud and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid could still be serious contenders for the job, but neither has expressed such an intention so far.
Rishi Sunak, 42, was among the first to “throw in the towel” on Tuesday night, apparently without even warning Johnson. The resignations of Sunak and Javid, minutes apart, set off a tsunami of departures, with some MPs accusing Johnson of a lack of integrity.
The prime minister resigned, but did not leave Downing Street, insisting that he will remain in power until his successor is named. That situation could continue until early autumn, angering many as the country faces record inflation of 9% (the highest among G7 countries) and social unrest amid the war in Ukraine.
Boris Johnson “is demonstrably a liar, steeped in corruption, we can’t go another two months like this,” commented Labor Party No. 2 Angela Rayner, calling for a caretaker prime minister to be appointed. “If they don’t (…) we will table a motion of censure before the summer recess” on July 22, when the House of Commons will be closed, he added, speaking to the BBC.
Johnson’s spokesman ruled out deputy prime minister Dominic Raab taking over as interim prime minister. The prime minister “remains prime minister until a new party leader is elected and in the meantime the government continues its work,” he said.
New Education Secretary James Cleverley has assured that the process to nominate the new Conservative leader will be carried out “professionally and quickly”. However, some MPs fear that this summer will be chaotic.
Johnson also assured after the hasty reshuffle of his government (12 ministers and under-secretaries were appointed yesterday and another 7 today) that he will not seek to implement any new policy, nor make significant changes. Decisions on finances will be made by the next prime minister, he stressed.
The process by which his successor will be elected is expected to be announced on Monday by the Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee. The appointment of the new leader, who will also take over as prime minister since the party has a majority in the House of Commons, must in any case be announced before the annual Conservative conference, scheduled for October 2 in Birmingham.
And already the knives are out: Jacob Rees-Mogg, Johnson’s staunch ally and Brexit minister, launched an attack on Sunak before he even announced his candidacy. “Rishi Sunak was not a successful finance minister. He was a high tax minister, he didn’t understand the problem of inflation,” he argued.
In announcing his resignation, Johnson, 58, did not say a word about the unprecedented departures of senior officials in his administration or the accusations that he lied. Instead, he said he was “incredibly proud” of his work and denounced the “strong herd feeling” in Westminster, a direct attack on those who deserted him in droves.
SOURCE: AMPE
Source: Capital
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