Three new candidates signed up on Saturday night for the British Prime Minister’s race after the resignation of Boris Johnsonincluding former Minister of Health savid javidwhich brings the number of candidates to eight.
In addition to Javid, they also aspire to 10 Downing Street the new Minister of the Economy, Nadhim Zahawi, and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Health, Jeremy Huntwho already in 2019 faced Boris Johnson for the leadership of the Conservative Party.
Previously, the current British Secretary of State for Transport had announced his intentions to compete, while the Secretary of Defense, Ben Wallace, decided not to appear.
Former Minister of Finance Rishi Sunak he is one of the heavyweights that will also be in the competition.
Two days after the announcement of the resignation of Johnson, 58, weakened by the scandals and practically knocked down by the resignation of Sunak, catalyst for more defections, the cataract of candidates to succeed him does not stop.
The competition for the leadership of the conservative party and, therefore, of Downing Street, with the “tories” in the majority in the House of Commons, could last several months.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, announced his candidacy with the promise of a “strategic” and “sober” government. Experienced MP, Cabinet Member of the former Prime Minister david cameron in 2010, he is not the favorite in the polls.
Neither are the former Secretary of Equality Kemi Badenochthe attorney general Suella Braverman and the deputy Tom Tugendhat.
By contrast, Sunak, 42, was the first top contender to launch his candidacy on Friday, in a video that fueled suspicions of a long-planned bid.
In the video, which was viewed seven million times on Saturday alone, Sunak promises to “restore confidence”, “rebuild the economy and reunify the country”.
Sunak, long a favorite to enter Downing Street if Johnson fell, was weakened a few months ago following the revelation of his wife’s special tax status, which allowed her to avoid reporting foreign income. to the British Treasury.
A Channel 4 poll conducted on Friday among 493 party members showed him as the Conservatives’ favorite candidate (25%), ahead of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (21%).
Sunak was one of the first to leave the government on Tuesday night, apparently without even telling Boris Johnson, along with Javid. These two almost simultaneous resignations had triggered a fatal hemorrhage for the outgoing prime minister, a hero of Brexit.
raise the thresholds
The race looks close, with Foreign Secretary Penny Mordaunt, who has not declared her intention to run for the job, and Javid as serious contenders.
Another heavyweight who was among the favourites, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, said Saturday that he is not running.
Despite having many supporters, and having a prominent role in Britain’s Ukraine policy, Wallace said he wanted to focus on his current task and “ensuring the security of the country.”
With the inflation crisis, taxation is expected to play a central role in the race, in which up to 15 contenders are expected.
Given the prospect of so many applicants, the party is expected to increase the number of supports and votes required in the first part of the nomination process, explained a member of the 1922 Committee, responsible for the internal conservatives.
In this way, the two finalists will be able to meet within two weeks, before the parliamentary summer break, which begins on July 22.
The final election of the members of the conservative party -160,000 voters in the last internal elections of 2019- would take place in the autumn, according to reports in the British press.
In announcing his resignation, Johnson indicated that he intended to remain in Downing Street until the party has a new leader.
