by William James and Elizabeth Piper
LONDON (Reuters) – In the aftermath of Liz Truss’ resignation after a whirlwind term, ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former finance minister Rishi Sunak were favorites to succeed her as Britain’s prime minister on Friday. , and the candidates have already entered the campaign with the Tories.
The contenders are working to bring together the 100 and more Conservative MPs needed for their candidacy for the Conservative Party presidency by Monday. The internal ballot will be closed on October 28 and the name of the new head of government will be announced the same day.
This will be the fifth Prime Minister that the British have known in six years.
The stakes are vital for the Tories, who are promised to be defeated by the polls for the legislative elections of 2024.
Boris Johnson, ousted from power a little over three months ago following “Partygate”, is racing in the lead alongside former finance minister Rishi Sunak. A “comeback” cannot be ruled out.
“I think he has a proven track record of turning things around. He can turn things around. And I’m sure my colleagues hear that message loud and clear,” Tory MP Paul Bristow said of him on LBC radio. .
“Boris Johnson is feared by the Labor Party, Boris Johnson can win the next general election,” he added.
The troublemaker could, however, have difficulty collecting his sponsorships after a three-year mandate marred by scandals.
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Jacob Rees-Mogg tweeted his support for “Bojo” under the hashtag “#BorisOrBust” (“Boris or Nothing”).
Rishi Sunak, a former Goldman Sachs analyst who became finance minister at the time of the pandemic and an unfortunate rival to Liz Truss in the party’s previous leadership election in August, is the bookmakers’ favorite ahead of Boris Johnson.
However, he remains deeply unpopular with some Tories for working to rebel against Boris Johnson within the party.
In third place, Penny Mordaunt, former defense minister, enjoys strong popularity among party members.
None of the potential suitors have yet declared their candidacy.
(Written by Elizabeth Piper, with contributions from Muvija M and Sachin Ravikumar Toby Chopra, French version Diana Mandia, editing by Sophie Louet)