Six candidates succeeded Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the first round of voting in the British Parliament on Wednesday (13). Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak presided.
Six candidates succeeded Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the first round of voting in the British Parliament on Wednesday (13). Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak presided.
A week after Boris Johnson announced his resignation, two of the eight candidates in the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party and the post of UK Prime Minister have been eliminated.
Sunak, 42, received 88 votes, according to results announced by Graham Brady, chairman of the committee organizing the election.
Little known to the general public, but increasingly, Foreign Affairs Minister Benny Mordant came second with 67 votes, followed by Foreign Affairs Minister Liz Truss with 50 votes.
The second round will take place on Thursday (14) and the aim is to appoint two finalists by the end of next week. The winner, chosen by party members – 160,000 in the last local election of 2019 – is to be known on September 5.
A YouGov poll of Conservative voters on Wednesday found Mordaunt ahead in voting intentions and would defeat all of his rivals in a showdown.
Old hits
At his campaign launch on Wednesday, Mordant, 49, compared the Conservatives to legendary Beatles musician Paul McCartney at the Glastonbury festival. “We accept all the new songs, but what we want to hear are the good old hits. We know the lyrics: low taxation, reduced state, personal responsibility,” he said.
Other candidates still in the running, most of whom are unknown to the general public, include Rep. Tom Dugentat, Attorney General Suella Braverman and former Secretary of State for Equality Kemi Patenoch. New finance minister Nadim Zahavi and former health minister Jeremy Hunt were sacked.
Head up
Johnson, who resigned on July 7 after a series of scandals, told lawmakers on Wednesday that he was “proud” of his government. “It is true that I am leaving at a time of my choosing,” he said during the weekly question session in Parliament. “But I go with my head held high,” he added.
In this impromptu campaign, candidates try to convince delegates in secret meetings. Several were passed at hearings held by Conservative MPs on Wednesday. Televised debates are also planned for the next few days.
Targeted exclusively at members of the Conservative Party, the campaign has limited footfall and debate.
Among the favorites, Sunak has been the target of violent attacks from Johnson’s camp, which he blames on him. On July 4, the party began a wave of expulsions that led to the resignation of the chief minister.
Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, a staunch supporter of Johnson, called the former minister a “socialist”, an offense in the conservative camp.
But Sunak says his economic vision was inspired by ultra-liberal former prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Johnson’s supporters, however, prefer another Thatcher admirer: Liz Truss, who remained in government last week despite a huge crunch.
(With information from AFP)
“Total creator. Devoted tv fanatic. Communicator. Evil pop culture buff. Social media advocate.”
