A first round of voting was held on 13 July and two of the eight candidates were disqualified. The rest will proceed to additional rounds of voting until two candidates remain. Conservative MPs in Britain have voted in the first round of the leadership contest The Conservatives want to complete the parliamentary stage of the vote before the start of the summer break on July 21. The two finalists will then spend the rest of the summer campaigning around the country. They face a second vote by around 180,000 Conservative Party members, with the winner to be announced on September 5. Unlike the party’s two previous leadership campaigns (Theresa May’s first campaign in 2016 and Boris Johnson’s victory in 2019), this contest is open. Modernize: Britain’s former finance minister Rishi Sunak won the most votes in a second round of voting to succeed Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and prime minister, as one candidate was eliminated. Mr. Sunak came out on top 101 votesfollowed by Trade Secretary and betting favorite Penny Mordaunt 83 votes and Secretary of State Liz Truss 64 votes. Suella Braverman was disqualified. Here’s a look at the five Conservative MPs now vying for the leadership. British Conservative Party MP Rishi Sunak is launching his campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Alberto Pezzali/The Associated Press
Rishi Sunak
Age: 42 Previous role: Chancellor of the Exchequer (Minister of Finance) What you need to know: Rishi Sunak was considered a rising star when he was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2020. He has degrees from Oxford University and Stanford and worked at Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund before turning to politics in 2014. He won praise early in the pandemic for introducing a series of support programs, but has been having problems lately. He and Mr Johnson were among 83 officials fined 50 pounds ($77) each for breaching COVID-19 quarantine rules. Mr Sunak also faced controversy after his wife, Aksatha Murthy, who is the daughter of an Indian billionaire, revealed she had registered as a British resident, which allowed her to save millions in tax. He launched his campaign with a slick video highlighting his immigrant background and devotion to family. Leadership comments so far: At the launch of his campaign, Mr Sunak said the country needed “honesty and responsibility, not fairy tales” to get through tough economic times. “It’s not credible to promise a lot more spending and low taxes,” he said. First round voting: Mr Sunak secured the most Tory votes overall, with 88 of the party’s 358 MPs voting for him. Second Round Voting: Mr Sunak came out on top with 101 votes. British Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt gestures at an event to launch her campaign to become the next Conservative leader.HENRY NICHOLLS/Reuters
Penny Mordant
Age: 49 Current role: Minister of Commerce What you need to know: Ms Mordaunt has held a number of government posts – including serving as the UK’s first female Defense Secretary – since becoming an MP in 2010. She has a military background and is a member of the Royal Navy. He is considered a moderate, although he was a prominent supporter of Brexit. Leadership comments so far: Ms Mordaunt is expected to be a candidate who can unite all factions of the party. At the official launch of her election campaign, she said the party had “standards and confidence to restore” after the scandal-tainted years of Boris Johnson. Voters are “fed up with us not delivering, fed up with broken promises and fed up with divisive policies,” he said. First round voting: Mrs Mordaunt came second, with 67 votes. Second Round Voting: Mrs Mordaunt again came second, with 83 votes. British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is a favorite of the Conservative Party base and regularly tops polls of party members.TOBY MELVILLE/Reuters
Liz Truss
Age: 46 Current role: Foreign Minister What you need to know: Ms Truss is a favorite of the Conservative Party base and regularly tops polls of party members conducted by the website Conservative Home. He has held several cabinet posts since first winning a seat in 2010, and is currently foreign secretary. Ms Truss cut short her trip to a group of 20 foreign ministers meeting in Indonesia this week to return to London to campaign. An economist by training, he is on the right wing of the party and a big believer in the free market. Mrs Truss initially campaigned against Brexit but after the 2016 referendum said she had changed her mind. Leadership comments so far: In a post for the Telegraph announcing her candidacy, Ms Truss said she would “start cutting taxes from day one” if elected. He would also reduce National Insurance growth, focus on low taxes and “put the COVID debt on a long-term footing,” he wrote. First round voting: Lady. Truss took third place, with 50 votes. Second Round Voting: Lady. Truss took third place, with 64 votes. Kemi Badenoch Kemi Badenoch is the Conservative MP for Saffron Walden and has been an MP continuously since 8 June 2017. Chris McAndrew / UK Parliament
Kemi Badenoch
Age: 42 Previous role: Minister of Equality What you need to know: Ms Badenoch, who was first elected to parliament in 2017, has held junior ministerial posts, including most recently equality minister, but has never served in cabinet. A former Conservative member of the London Assembly, he has also served as deputy leader of the Conservative Party. He supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum. Leadership comments so far: “The Conservative party must stand as the party of change. I have the conviction, courage and clarity of thought to bring about that change, for the people of this country,” she said in a message on Twitter. First round voting: Ms Badenoch came fourth, with 40 votes. Second Round Voting: Ms Badenoch came fourth, with 49 votes. British Conservative MP and Conservative leadership candidate Tom Taggedhat speaks to the media.TOBY MELVILLE/Reuters
Tom Tugendhat
Age: 49 Current role: Mr Tugendhat is a senior member of parliament. What you need to know: Mr. Tugendhat is relatively untested because he has never served in the Cabinet. A former soldier and chairman of Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, he has been a regular critic of Mr Johnson. It would offer the Conservatives a clean break with previous governments. He says he is a low-tax Conservative who did not support the rise of National Insurance and has said fuel tax is “crippling” for many people. He voted to remain in the EU. Leadership comments so far: In a video announcing his leadership bid on Twitter, Mr Tugendhat said: “We need seriousness and integrity back in our government. It’s time for a clean start.” First round voting: Mr. Tugendhat came fifth, with 37 votes. Second Round Voting: Mr. Tugendhat came fifth, with 32 votes. UK Attorney General and Conservative leadership candidate Suella Braverman attends the Conservative Way Forward launch event.HENRY NICHOLLS/Reuters
Suella Braverman
Age: 42 Previous role: Attorney General What you need to know: As attorney general, Braverman was heavily criticized by lawyers after the government tried to break international law on post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland. He campaigned to leave the EU and served as a junior minister in the Brexit department under previous prime minister Theresa May, but resigned in protest at the proposed Brexit deal, saying it did not go far enough in breaking ties with the bloc. Leadership comments so far:We need someone to get Britain back on track and I’m the candidate to do it,” Braverman tweeted. First round voting: Braverman just made the cut, placing sixth, with 32 votes. Second Round Voting: Braverman was disqualified.
