After a series of scandals and the loss of confidence among the conservatives that led to a cascade of resignations among the ministers of his Government, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has decided to resign as leader of the Conservative Party and leave the position of chief executive.
Johnson will remain in office until the Tories elect a new leader who will kiss the hand of Queen Elizabeth II. While the British media are already speculating who could relieve him. Here are some of the favorites to become the new tenant of 10 Downing Street, the seat of the head of the UK Government.
According to a survey carried out by the YouGov company on July 6 and 7, which collected the opinion of 716 Tory politicians, the best candidates for the post of Premier would be:
* Defense Minister Ben Wallace (13%)
* Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt (12%)
* Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak (10%)
* Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (8%)
* The fired Secretary of State for Planning, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove (7%)
* Justice Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab (7%)
* Other politicians got a lower percentageBen Wallace
The BBC describes Ben Wallace, who served as a soldier, as a «low-key» figure who managed to attract attention after the start of the fighting in Ukraine, given the UK’s role in supporting Kyiv in the war. Meanwhile, the ITV channel indicates that the Minister of Defense is esteemed by many in Parliament for his «direct and blunt approach».
Rishi Sunak
The former Chancellor of the Treasury was, together with the former Secretary of Health, Sajid Javid, one of the first high-ranking Executive officials to present his resignation. ITV highlights that Sunak was at one point considered «the favourite» to take over from Johnson, reports RT.
However, he fell out of favor with rising British living costs. Among other negative points, the media mention a controversy surrounding his wife’s taxes and the payment of a fine for violating anti covid restrictions.
Despite this, ITV notes that Sunak, 42, is the youngest potential candidate, noting that his social media achievements could enable him to win over young voters.
Penny Mordaunt
Mordaunt currently holds the position of Trade Minister and in 2019 she made history in British politics by becoming the first woman to lead the Defense portfolio, although she remained in the post for only three months, then she was dismissed by Johnson after he took office so as to take the reins of the Executive.
During the vote of confidence that Johnson was subjected to in June by her own party, Mordaunt, unlike other ministers who supported her boss, announced that she would be in her electoral district in an act of commemoration of the landing of Normandy.
Liz Truss
The current foreign secretary was not at the forefront of those urging Johnson to resign, but she called his decision today «correct». Among her political assets, the media highlights her insistence that Ukraine must prevail in the current conflict against Russia and her advocacy of imposing a wide range of sanctions against Moscow.
In addition, she receives credit for her role in negotiating the trade agreements that determined trade relations between the United Kingdom and the European Union after Brexit.
Nadhim Zahawi
The newly appointed chancellor of the Treasury cemented his reputation with the covid-19 immunization campaign, when he took over as minister of vaccines. He was then promoted to Secretary of Education until reaching this last position.
Despite being appointed by Boris Johnson, Zahawi was quick to call the now interim ‘premier’ to resign. “Yesterday I made it clear to the prime minister, […] that there was only one direction this was heading and that he had to go with dignity”, said the official. «Prime Minister: This is not sustainable and will only get worse: for you, for the Conservative Party and, above all, for the country. You must do the right thing and leave now», he wrote on Thursday in his Twitter account.
How is Boris’ replacement chosen?
In his announcement, Boris pointed out that he had already spoken with Graham Brady, head of the Conservative Committee of Private Members, the so-called 1922 Committee, a body of the conservative caucus that promoted the motion of censure against him in June. The two agreed that the process of choosing the new ‘premier’ should start «now». The process schedule will be announced next week.
Under the current rules, the process will start after the conservatives who aspire to Boris ‘s post present their candidacies with the support of eight parliamentarians. In the first stage, the Conservative members of the House of Commons vote and candidates who get less than 18 votes are eliminated.
In the second stage, those with less than 36 supporters are eliminated. If all candidates pass this threshold, the candidate with the fewest number of votes is excluded. The procedure will continue until there are two rivals left, explains the BBC.
A vote will then be held in which a larger number of Conservatives will choose one of the remaining two candidates. The winner will lead the party and, consequently, will take over the helm of the Government, given that the ‘Tories’ have the necessary majority in the House of Commons of Parliament.
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