More than 50 Tory MPs resigned from the government after Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned on Tuesday, prompting Johnson to step down as the Tory leadership two days later. Johnson’s close allies said there was “huge anger” in Downing Street over Mr Sunak’s resignation. A senior Number 10 official called Sunak “a sneaky bastard”. Sunak launched his bid to become Tory leader on Friday with a video in which he pledged to end “comforting fairy tales” – a coded attack on Johnson’s time as prime minister. A government official close to Johnson said Sunak had not informed the prime minister of his intention to resign, although another Whitehall spokesman said Sunak “tried to phone the prime minister but he did not answer”. I am the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister. Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country. #Ready4Rishi Subscribe 👉 pic.twitter.com/LldqjLRSgF — Ready For Rishi (@RishiSunak) July 8, 2022 A cabinet minister loyal to Johnson said his allies would try to ensure Sunak did not win the leadership contest. “Rishi will get everything he deserves for leading the charge to bring down the prime minister,” he said. Sunak’s team declined to comment. The race to succeed Johnson will be a crowded field: Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Chancellor Nahim Zahawi and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace are also expected to take a stand. Johnson’s allies also accused Sunak of having the wrong approach to the economy when he was chancellor. One No 10 insider said: “He had no real plan for growth, [and was] I’m just obsessed with balancing the books.” Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Brexit Opportunities minister and a Johnson loyalist, described Sunak at a cabinet meeting on Thursday as “the much-lamented socialist chancellor”. But another senior government official said Johnson regarded Sunak as a “great chancellor” and noted that he had said in his resignation letter that he would “miss working with him”. Several bookmakers have put Sunak, 42, as the favorite to become the next Conservative leader and many Tory MPs also see him as the frontrunner. But he is unpopular with some Tory MPs because of the tax increases he introduced to pay for emergency government support during the Covid-19 pandemic and for better public services afterwards. The tax burden is set to rise to its highest level since the late 1940s. Sunak’s video focused on trying to distance the Tories from the scandal and turmoil that undermined Johnson. “Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country,” he said. The former chancellor indicated his political platform would focus on fiscal discipline – over which he clashed with Johnson. “Are we facing this moment with sincerity, seriousness and determination?” Sunak asked. “Or do we tell ourselves comforting tales that may make us feel better now, but will leave our children worse off tomorrow?”

Sunak, the son of first-generation immigrants to the UK, used his video to talk about the importance of family values ​​and the opportunities he had earned in his life. He has already won the first major endorsements of the leadership contest: the former Tory leader is whipping Mark Harper and Mark Spencer. Truss is expected to announce her candidacy soon and is set to emphasize “fiscal credibility”, with tax cuts funded by a smaller state in the long term. Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, said on Friday he would seek to succeed Johnson. “It’s time for a clean start,” he said. “It’s time for a refresh.” Suella Braverman, the attorney general, said Wednesday that she would support the party’s leadership. Meanwhile, Johnson continued to appoint junior ministers to fill important gaps in his government. Peter Bone, a veteran Tory MP, has been given the new role of deputy leader of the Commons.