LONDON, Oct 21 (Reuters) – Boris Johnson and his former finance minister Rishi Sunak led potential contenders to replace British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Friday, with candidates seeking their support to become the leader of the Conservative Party as part of of an accelerated competition.
After Truss resigned on Thursday, ending her six weeks in office, those who wanted to replace her were trying to find the 100 votes from conservative lawmakers needed to stand in a contest the party hopes will restore her faltering fortunes.
With the Tories set to be wiped out in the next national election, according to opinion polls, the race is on to become Britain’s fifth prime minister in six years.
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The winner will be announced Monday or Friday next week.
In what would be an extraordinary comeback, Johnson, who was ousted by lawmakers just over three months ago, was rising through the ranks alongside Sunak to be crowned the next prime minister.
“I think he’s proven himself to change things. He can do it again. And I’m sure my colleagues hear that message loud and clear,” Conservative lawmaker Paul Bristow said of Johnson on the LBC radio.
“Boris Johnson can win the next general election,” he said.
Johnson, who left office comparing himself to a Roman dictator who came to power twice to fend off crises, may struggle to reach 100 votes after his three-year term was marred by scandals and allegations of abuse. ‘misconduct.
One of his former advisers, who no longer speaks to Johnson and asked not to be identified, said he was unlikely to hit the target, having alienated dozens of Tories over the course of his mandate shaken by scandals.
The Financial Times newspaper, which has called for new elections, said a Boris return would be “wacky”.
Will Walden, who also worked for Johnson, said the former prime minister was returning from vacation and taking polls.
“The country needs a mature, serious leader. Boris has had his chance, let’s move on. I suspect that’s not what the Conservative Party will do, they might just re-elect him,” he said. he told the BBC.
Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said he was backing Boris, tweeting his support with the hashtag ‘#Borisorbust’.
The competition began on Thursday, hours after Truss stood outside her Downing Street office to say she could not continue.
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak walk out of Downing Street, in London, Britain December 1, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo
Sunak, the former Goldman Sachs analyst who became finance minister just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe and was a Truss runner-up in the previous leadership race this summer, is the favorite of the bookmakers, followed by Johnson.
Run in third east Penny Mordaunt, a former defense minister popular with party members. None have officially declared their candidacy.
TRUSS LEAVES
leave the farm following the shortest, the most chaotic diet of any British Prime Minister after his economic program shattered the country’s reputation for financial stability and impoverished many people.
Truss said she could no longer push through with her agenda after her economic plan rattled markets, forcing a U-turn under a new finance minister after she sacked her closest political ally.
The sight on Thursday of another unpopular Prime Minister giving a resignation speech in Downing Street – and the start of a new leadership race – underscores how volatile British politics have become since the Brexit vote in 2016.
Some Tory lawmakers are hoping the race to replace her will be quick and easy, urging hopefuls to coalesce around one candidate to lessen the pain of another deadly contest.
Sunak, who was right in his warnings that Truss’ budget plan threatened the economy, remains deeply unpopular with some party members after helping spark the Summertime Rebellion against Johnson.
Mordaunt is considered a new, largely untouched pair of hands by previous administrations. But it hasn’t been tested either, and so far it’s lagging behind Sunak and Johnson in securing backers.
The next leader faces tough economic times, inheriting an economy heading into recession, double-digit inflation, rising interest rates, labor shortages, and cost compression. of life.
Data released on Friday showed UK buyers sharply curbed spending and lowered confidence to historic lows, while worse-than-expected government borrowing figures underscored the economic challenges ahead.
Whoever takes the lead also has a mountain to climb in an attempt to restore or renew the reputation of the Conservative Party, which holds a large majority in parliament and does not need to call a national election for two years.
“Whether or not a change of leader will be enough to make the Tories truly electorally credible is certainly highly debatable,” political analyst John Curtice told LBC.
“The problem for the Conservatives is that their brand as a party that can take care of the economy…has now been very, very badly tarnished, and it can be very difficult to recover in the space of two years. “
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Written by Elizabeth Piper and Kylie MacLellan; additional reporting by Muvija M, Sachin Ravikumar and William Schomberg; Editing by Toby Chopra and Catherine Evans
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