The jockeying began even before Boris Johnson announced his resignation and since then his former staffers have been busy making their announcement on social media and in newspapers. Who said they run? Former chancellor Rishi Sunak was the first big name to enter the race and will be seen as one of the favourites, although the race is wide open with a crowded and growing field of candidates. Until recent months, Mr Sunak was seen by many Tory MPs as the front-runner to succeed Mr Johnson. But after introducing some policies – such as a rise in national insurance – which went down badly with Tory MPs, his popularity has taken a hit. He was also fined for attending the prime minister’s birthday party during the lockdown, jeopardizing his ability to break away from partygate. The revelation that his wife, multi-millionaire Akshata Murty, did not own the home and therefore did not have to pay UK tax on her substantial international income also damaged his position. After the uproar over a minister’s wife not paying UK tax on that income, she confirmed she would do so as “it has become clear that many do not think it is compatible with my husband’s role as chancellor”. Mr Sunak has been in Number 11 since the start of 2020, rising straight from a junior cabinet position to one of the most powerful cabinet posts following the surprise resignation of Sajid Javid. Within weeks, COVID struck and the former chancellor took a prominent role in the government’s response to the pandemic, announcing a series of measures to support workers and businesses. Mr Sunak was elected in 2015, succeeding former Tory leader Lord Hague in the North Yorkshire seat of Richmond. He backed Brexit in 2016, telling his constituents at the time that it was the “toughest decision” of his political career. What are his policies? Saying he was throwing his hat into the ring a day after Mr Johnson resigned, Mr Sunak launched his candidacy in a glossy video on social media with a promise to rebuild voter confidence after the previous tumultuous premiership. In sharp contrast to other candidates, he is sticking to his guns in opposing the tax cuts, arguing they would fuel rising prices and warning against telling voters “comforting tales.” On social issues, Mr Sunak told the Mail On Sunday he would reverse “recent trends in erasing women through the use of clumsy, gender-neutral language” and said “we should be able to call a mother a mother and let’s talk about breastfeeding.” . Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the Commons foreign affairs select committee, was the first to jump into the fray after Mr Johnson left. A former soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr Tugendhat grew up in London and Sellindge, near Ashford, Kent. He studied Theology at the University of Bristol and then took an MA in Islamic Studies at Cambridge before traveling to Beirut to work as a journalist. What are his policies? Although he has no ministerial experience, he has pointed to his time on the military front and stressed that he was the candidate for a “clean start”. He stressed that he did not support the controversial increase in national insurance and that he had “always been a low-tax Conservative”. While signaling his support for a cut in corporate tax – a levy on business profits – Mr Tugendhat insisted any measures would have to be part of a 10-year economic plan. He and his running mate Jeremy Hunt are from the party’s so-called One Nation wing, so there will be pressure on him to stand behind Mr Hunt to avoid splitting the vote. Mr Tugendhat supported the campaign to remain in the EU but voted loyally on Brexit issues under both Theresa May and Mr Johnson. As part of his campaign, he has also signaled his intention to hand in the Northern Ireland Protocol bill, which Brussels says breaks international law. Transport Minister Grant Shapps used his leadership position to hit out at his rivals, saying he had not spent the past few years “conspiring or informing against the prime minister” or mobilizing a leadership campaign, but had “his head down” in the department of. . MP for Welwyn Hatfield since 2005 went to grammar school and then Manchester Polytechnic. In 1989, at the age of 21, he was involved in a car accident in Kansas, which left him in a coma. He was a copier salesman before starting a publishing business with his wife while recovering from cancer. Mr Shapps has landed himself in hot water over the years for allegedly using aliases and holding a second job while an MP, which he denied and finally admitted in 2015. He was a favorite of David Cameron, who made him housing secretary and chairman of the Conservative Party. However, he resigned in 2015 amid allegations of bullying within the party – which he was not part of – and had a few years on Mrs May’s back. Mr Johnson rewarded him for backing his leadership bid, despite being a Remainer, by making him transport secretary. He is one of the most recognizable senior Tories, appearing for the government on many morning media rounds and starring in official videos promoting various transport initiatives. What are his policies? In his appeal to the party, Mr Sapps argued for lower taxes and a reduction in “red tape”. He said he would introduce an immediate 1p cut to the basic rate of income tax of 20p. and “freezes” the proposed corporate tax increase. Tackling the cost of living crisis and boosting the economy to make it Europe’s biggest are also high on his agenda. Penny Mordaunt, who was sacked as defense secretary when Johnson took office, was the ninth candidate to enter the fray. Having kept a relatively low profile since returning to government as international trade minister, she is nonetheless seen as ambitious and popular with Tory MPs. He played a prominent role in the Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum and reportedly enjoyed the support of Dame Andrea Leadsom among others Conservative MP Michael Fabricant has described her as “socially liberal”. What are its policies? Stressing the need for change in the wake of recent chaos, the Portsmouth North MP and Royal Navy reservist argued the party needed to “become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship”. He cited “liberty, justice, courage and compassion” as the values of the United Kingdom. Ms Mordaunt, who is seen by some as a potential dark horse in the leadership contest, said she was “shocked at the stupidity of what happened” in Downing Street over partygate. Nadhim Zahawi, the newly appointed chancellor, owes his profile to his role as vaccine minister, where he oversaw the nationwide development of COVID vaccines. Born in Iraq to a Kurdish family, Zahawi came to the UK as a nine-year-old when his parents fled Saddam Hussein. Believed to be one of the richest politicians in the House of Commons, he helped found polling company YouGov after studying chemical engineering at university. Considered a “safe pair of hands”, he was subsequently promoted to education secretary after Gavin Williamson was sacked. He replaced Mr Sunak as chancellor after the cabinet exit that ended Mr Johnson’s leadership. Mr Zahawi is seen as a strong communicator and relatively unremarkable compared to some other cabinet ministers. What are his policies? He has promised lower taxes, claiming the burden is “too high”, as well as a “great education” for all. He spoke of the awareness that safety, security and freedom are “things we can never take for granted” and argued that defense spending “must be increased”. On the Northern Ireland Protocol, Mr Zahawi has previously said he would keep all options “on the table”, pledging to work with Sinn Fein and the European Commission. Jeremy Hunt, chairman of the health and social care select committee, has also announced he intends to run. He has argued that his long experience in the cabinet has taught him the importance of trust in politics and only promising things that can be delivered. It is his second leadership contest after unsuccessfully challenging Johnson in the 2019 runoff. His supporters believe his strength as a candidate would come from not being tarnished by being part of Mr Johnson’s cabinet. What are his policies? The former health minister has pledged to cut corporation tax from 15% to create a “pro-business environment” and “kickstart” the economy. He spoke of his intention to reduce the rate of 19 p.m. to 15 p. in his first autumn budget. Mr Hunt also plans to scrap business rates for five years for communities most in need, he told The Sunday Telegraph. But he rejected reversing the rise in national insurance, arguing the NHS needed the £12 billion a year the increase would generate. Mr Hunt also spoke of embracing the “freedoms of Brexit”, pledging to support the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill. On Rwanda’s migration policy, he said of his intention to expand the system by finding additional countries to deport people. On HS2, he said he would “get on with it”. Sajid Javid is also among the candidates vying to be the next Tory leader. His resignation as health secretary triggered the avalanche of resignations that forced Johnson out. He previously served as chancellor, home secretary, housing secretary, business secretary and culture secretary. State-educated, he is the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver who came to England in the 1960s. Raised above a shop in Bristol, he became an investment banker before entering politics. Mr Javid made it to the final four in the contest to replace Mrs May as Tory leader in 2019, but pulled out and then…
