The war of succession is on. Following the resignation of British Prime Minister Liz Truss on Thursday 20th October, an internal vote in the Conservative party, which has to be completed by Friday 28th October, must enable the future head of government to be chosen from across the Channel. Here are the possible candidates to succeed the ephemeral Conservative leader.
>> Follow the situation and reactions in the UK following the resignation of UK Prime Minister Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak, the most popular ex-candidate for the Conservative MPs
Rishi Sunak, August 31 in London. (SUSANNEH IRELAND/AFP)
Beaten by Liz Truss in the final stages of the process to appoint the leader of the Conservative Party in the summer, Boris Johnson’s former Treasury Secretary was the Conservative MPs’ choice of choice at the time.
The 42-year-old wealthy former banker, grandson of Indian immigrants, embodies conservative household orthodoxy. During the campaign against Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak repeatedly argued that unfunded tax cuts could erode market confidence and push inflation to a decade high. The facts proved him right.
But Rishi Sunak has a big handicap. Many of Boris Johnson’s supporters see him as a traitor whose resignation earlier this summer hastened the demise of the former Downing Street tenant.
Penny Mordaunt, the activists’ favorite at the start of the campaign
Penny Mordaunt, leader of the UK House of Commons, answers a session of urgent questions at the House of Commons in London October 17, 2022. (JESSICA TAYLOR / UK PARLIAMENT / AFP)
She is also running this summer against Liz Truss to succeed Boris Johnson, the Minister for Relations with Parliament who was the darling of Conservative activists at the start of the election campaign.
The charismatic 49-year-old former Defense Secretary distinguished herself in Parliament, where she replaced Liz Truss against the opposition, confidently defending the spectacular shift in direction in the economy and declaring that the PM is “not hiding under a desk”. The hypothesis of a Mordaunt Sunak tickets even turned up recently.
Ben Wallace, a possible Conservative Party figurehead
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace during a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels October 13, 2022. (KENZO TRIBOUILLARD / AFP)
Among the favorites in the last Conservative Party leader campaign, the Defense Secretary, who opted not to start to focus on UK security, has seen his name return as a possible unit figure for the celebration in recent days. However, Ben Wallace, 52, seemed to rule that scenario out, assuring the Times on Tuesday that he wanted to stay in La Défense.
Jeremy Hunt, an experienced minister who is considered uncharismatic
Jeremy Hunt on October 17, 2022 at the House of Commons, London. (PRU/AFP)
Treasury Secretary for a week, the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, appointed by Liz Truss, seems to be the one in charge as the Prime Minister looks so weak. It was he who on Monday announced the spectacular reversal of nearly all government tax measures, sparking panic in the markets.
The veteran but seen as uncharismatic 55-year-old former foreign secretary recently reassured the BBC that after two failures in 2019 and then this summer, he does not want to start a power race.
Boris Johnson, the Brexit champion, dragging pans behind him
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers his final speech outside 10 Downing Street in London on September 6, 2022. (ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP)
This is one of the scenarios circulating in the conservative press this summer: Like a phoenix, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson would make a comeback and assert himself in apparent regression.
Supported by the election victory at the end of 2019, which gave the Conservatives a majority unprecedented since Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, “BoJo”, the hero of Brexit, still drags a few pans behind him. His departure, forced by a series of scandals including that of Downing Street parties breaching anti-Covid restrictions, is not far off and gives him some responsibility for the current debacle.
And at a time when he is embracing lucrative activity as a speaker around the world, it remains to be seen whether 58-year-old Boris Johnson would be willing to regain control of the party two years before the general election, which saw the polls landslide promise victory for the Labor opposition.