Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss: Here Are The Top Contenders To Replace Boris Johnson As UK Prime Minister
On July 7, Boris Johnson announced his resignation as the Conservative Party leader following his performance as a prime minister that saw many leaders resigning from government.
With his resignation, the United Kingdom is set to have a new prime minister by September 5. Here are the top contenders in the Tory leadership race.
Rishi Sunak
He was the former Chancellor of the Exchequer before resigning on July 6. The Tory MP for Richmond (Yorks) announced his candidature for the PM post with the #ReadyForRishi campaign.
Liz Truss
The Tory MP for South West Norfolk is also UK's Foreign Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities. She announced her candidature with the 'Liz For Leader' campaign on July 11.
Penny Mordaunt
The Tory MP for Portsmouth North is also contesting for the Conservative Party leadership with the PM4PM campaign. Since 2021, Mordaunt has been the UK's Minister of State for Trade Policy
Tom Tugendhat
A former army soldier, the Tory leader for Tonbridge and Malling has been the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee since 2017. He announced his candidature for Conservative Party leadership on July 11.
Suella Braverman
The Attorney General for England and Wales has been the Conservative Party MP from Fareham. She announced her contestation for the Tory leadership on Jul 11 with the #Suella4Leader campaign.
Nadhim Zahawi
The newly appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer replaced Rishi Sunak on July 5. Born in Iraq to a Kurdish family, Zahawi is the Tory MP from Stratford-on-Avon.
Kemi Badenoch
Another contender for the Conservative leadership, Badenoch is a Tory MP for Saffron Walden. She was the Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities.
Jeremy Hunt
The former Foreign Secretary is the Chairman of the Health and Social Care Select Committee. He is the Tory MP for South West Surrey.
The first round of voting is scheduled for July 14. Candidates who secure at least 30 votes will qualify for the second round on July 14. The new Tory leader from September 5 will be the next British Prime Minister.