Three Conservative MPs are already in the race to succeed Boris Johnson, the leader and prime minister. Johnson conceded defeat on the previous day but is still in office and at Downing Street. Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor and Exchequer of India, was directly responsible for the fall of the British Government. He presented his candidacy in a speech where he promised to “restore faith, rebuild the economy, and reunify the nation.”
Sunak beat other favorites candidates by creating a video with a personal tone and high production quality. He is 42 years old, and boasts a huge economic fortune. He recalls his time as the Minister of Finance in the difficult years of the pandemic, and warns that the country faces “colossal problems.” He says that the decisions made today will determine whether the next generation will have the chance to create a better future for themselves.
Sunak quit last Tuesday, minutes after Sajid Javid withdrew from the Cabinet. He has not confirmed his candidacy. Johnson lost his confidence in the majority of the parliamentary party when both leaks were apparently coordinated. He resigned two days later. The still-president appointed ministerial and lower ranking positions, which enabled him to complete almost the entire Executive team. In a strong sign of his determination not to lose the helm for several months, he began training it.
He reiterated his desire to remain in Downing Street through the election of a successor during these primaries. The rules are still unwritten. The 1922 committee was formed by deputies who did not hold a government position. It is now preparing to vote for the new directive on Monday which will clarify the regulations and set the timeline. To discourage people who have little chance of winning, the 2019 formula required at least ten candidates to support the candidate. This threshold could be increased to speed up the process and ensure a quick resolution to the power vacuum, party split and economic crisis in Ukraine.
Sunak addresses the general population with his message, though the context of the census is restricted to the ‘Tory deputies’ in the first instance and the affiliates in final resolution. The parliamentarians will vote through the rounds until there are only two finalists. The next leader and prime minster should then be determined by the Conservative Party’s more than 100,000 members via postal vote. There are exceptions to this rule. The unexpected withdrawal by her opponent caused the non-voting of affiliates in the election of Theresa May after the Brexit referendum.
Tom Tugendham (former soldier, president of the Foreign Affairs Committee) also got in on the act, promising “a new start.” He wrote, “The time has arrived to renew,” in The Daily Telegraph. He is a 49-year-old critic to the prime minister and says he has a broad coalition of colleagues who will bring new energy, ideas and direction to the UK. He would prioritize bridging the gap created by the withdrawal of the European Union if given the chance to lead the country.
Suella Braverman is most surprising as the first candidate. General counsel to the Johnson Government, she announced her interest in the primaries while commenting about political news on a television show. Braverman hopes to win votes and support from the ultra-Eurosceptic and reactionary factions of Westminster. Her goal is to eliminate the influence of foreign courts in Britain, including that in Strasbourg, which oversees fundamental human rights.
A government headed by a lawyer would continue the legislative course of the controversial bill on national rights, which was presented recently. The controversial legislative proposal for Northern Ireland would also be subject to the same fate. Its current form allows ministers to amend sections of the special operational protocol that was established in the region. This is included in the Brexit Agreement. This unilateral, likely illegal action has been condemned by the EU, various national and international organisations and experts.
Many heavyweights in the ’tory family’ are still to be announced. Ben Wallace, Minister of Defense, is leading the voting intentions surveys of just a few entities. According to YouGov Penny Mordaunt is second, a Royal Navy reservist who has ministerial experience. The Foreign Minister Liz Truss and Nadhim Zahawi (the new head of Economy) are part of the platoon. Their participation is assumed.
Another veteran of British politics, Jeremy Hunt could also enter the game. He would be able to bring together the pro-European and moderate vote of the Conservative blocs. Sajid Javid, who quit the Health portfolio after a devastating speech in Parliament, would be competing for the same support from centrist MPs. It would attract a greater number of members than the majority, as they tend to be more anti-European or radical than the majority.
Several parties are fighting to stop Johnson’s leadership until the succession is over. They propose to create a transition executive, headed by an acting prime minister, which would ease the selection process and reduce the pressure. They also suggest Dominic Raab, the Justice Minister, as a candidate. He was Johnson’s replacement and performed this role when Johnson was hospitalized with covid.
Johnson, in turn, tries to calm tensions and has indicated that he will not make any decisions that “tie his hands” with his replacement. Downing Street spokespersons assure that both the controversial bills and the plan to send Rwandan refugees home will be dealt with through normal channels. The Parliament suspends on July 21. It resumes its normal course on September 5. Before or on the eve the party’s annual congress in October, the identity of the next prime minster should be known.
