Javid, Hunt and Zahawi: Number of possible Johnson successors is increasing

Javid, Hunt and Zahawi
Number of possible Johnson successors is increasing

Three other prominent MPs are running to succeed Prime Minister Johnson as leader of the Conservative Tory party. There are now eight possible candidates. However, a minister in the previous Johnson cabinet is not among them.

When the chair of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson becomes vacant, there will be plenty of applicants for the successor. The number of candidates to succeed him as Tory leader has now risen to eight. Three political heavyweights threw their hats in the ring on Saturday: resigning health minister Sajid Javid, acting finance minister Nadhim Zahawi and former health and foreign minister Jeremy Hunt.

Javid and Hunt announced in interviews with the “Sunday Telegraph” that they would reduce corporate income tax from 25 to 15 percent in the event of a successful candidacy. Zahawi also spoke out in favor of tax cuts. However, the trio is not one of the narrower circle of favourites. Hunt had already applied for the party chairmanship in 2019, but was unable to prevail against Johnson.

The prime minister announced his resignation as party leader on Thursday after an unprecedented internal party revolt over a series of scandals. This also sealed his end as head of government. However, he announced that he would remain in office until a successor was elected, which could last until autumn. In the race to succeed Johnson, the influential MP Tom Tugendhat and Attorney General and Brexit advocate Suella Braverman had first dared to come out of cover.

Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, who resigned in protest against Johnson, also announced his candidacy on Friday. Equal Opportunities Minister Kemi Badenoch, who has also just resigned, and Transport Minister Grant Shapps made their ambitions public on Saturday.

Wallace waves it off

Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace, who was considered one of the favorites to succeed Johnson, has decided not to run. Observers had counted the 52-year-old among the most promising candidates for Johnson’s successor. “After careful consideration and discussions with colleagues and family, I have made the decision not to run for the Conservative Party leadership,” Wallace wrote on Twitter. This was “not an easy choice”. But his “focus” is on his current position. Wallace has a responsible position as secretary of defense in view of the Ukraine war and received a lot of praise for it.

Other members of the government are expected to run to succeed Johnson, including Secretary of State Liz Truss and Secretary of State for Foreign Trade Penny Mordaunt.

Sunak is currently considered one of the favorites for the Tory chief post. In a recent poll of Tory members, Sunak finished first, just ahead of Truss. A timetable for the election of the Conservative Tory party leader is to be worked out on Monday. The successor is to officially replace Boris Johnson at a party conference in early October.

source site-34