An initial field of 11 challengers has been narrowed down after two days of voting by ruling Conservative Party lawmakers, but no one person has yet emerged as the obvious successor to Boris Johnson, who announced he is standing down after a series of scandals. While former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has topped those two votes, he faces stiff competition from Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who has the backing of some senior figures, and Trade Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who polls show is the most popular in the party. members who will decide the winner. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Former equality minister Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat, chairman of parliament’s foreign affairs committee, also remain candidates and hope a strong showing in the televised debates will boost their campaigns. “Tonight is the big event because what it’s really about is not just Conservative members, as important as they are, it’s really about the country as a whole,” Tugendhat told broadcasters. “What we need to show, what everyone needs to show, is that they are able to communicate the Conservative messages strongly and debate hard. Because this isn’t actually a phone booth knife fight. This is about the governance of the United Kingdom. “ Whoever takes the job will face soaring inflation and low economic growth, as well as a lack of public confidence in politics after Johnson’s scandal-ridden tenure. Polls also show the Conservatives trailing well behind the opposition Labor Party. “Who will be the best person to take on (Labour leader) Keir Starmer at the next general election?” MP Richard Holden, a Sunak supporter, told Sky News. “That interests me because I have to hold my ground to perform for the people in my position.”
UP TO TWO UNTIL JULY 21
Sunak, whose decision to quit the Treasury last week helped trigger a cascade of ministerial resignations that brought Johnson down, remains the favorite among his 358 Conservative peers in parliament. But his lead over Truss and Mordant is narrow, and both could overtake him, depending on who lawmakers who backed other candidates choose to back. The battle becomes increasingly hostile as opponents fight to stay in the competition. On Thursday, Attorney General Suella Braverman dropped out of the race and threw her support behind Truss, who also won the backing of David Frost, who negotiated Britain’s exit from the European Union. read more The Times reported that Johnson was urging defeated leadership candidates to support “anyone but Rishi.” Meanwhile, Mordaunt, a lesser-known figure to the general public who has become a favorite with bookmakers, is facing increasing attacks from rival camps over her experience, with Frost saying she was not tough enough on the EU, a key issue for many Conservatives. “Knives out for Penny! Not up to the job, say opponents,” the Daily Express headlined, while the Daily Mail, another typically Conservative tabloid, headlined “Mordaunt under the microscope”. “People are obviously trying to stop me from going into the final because they don’t want to face me,” Mordaunt told Sky News, saying she did not want to take part in the same “black operation”. “In the voting that took place, I beat all the other candidates,” he said. After the televised debates, MPs’ votes will be repeated on Monday with the candidate with the fewest votes eliminated each time until two finalists are chosen by July 21. The new leader will then be chosen by the country’s 200,000 Conservative Party members and announced on September 5. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Additional reporting by William James. edited by John Stonestreet Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
