Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak will be the new Prime Minister of the UK thanks to the overwhelming support of the Conservative Party parliamentary group, which yielded to the only opponent.
Sunak’s opponent, Penny Mordaunt, announced her withdrawal minutes before the deadline for confirmation of nominations, which required the support of at least 100 of the 357 Conservative Party MPs.
According to the president of the 1922 Committee, the council of the parliamentary group that organizes the internal elections, Graham Brady, only Rishi Sunak managed to present a valid candidacy.
“Rishi Sunak is therefore elected as the leader of the Conservative Party,” he announced.
The other potential candidate, Boris Johnson, had already withdrawn from the race on Sunday night.
The new leader of the Conservative Party will be appointed by King Carlos III, head of the Government, as the Tories maintain an absolute majority, but it is still not certain that this will happen today.
In a statement, Penny Mordaunt said it was “clear that colleagues feel certainty is needed today” and that choosing Sunak was a decision made “in good faith and for the good of the country.”
“As a result, we have now chosen our next prime minister. This decision is historic and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party”, he underlined.
Vowing “full support” for Sunak, Mordaunt urged the party to “unite and work together for the good of the nation.”
Sunak succeeds Liz Truss, who resigned on Thursday amid growing discontent with the government, but remains in the role on an interim basis.
Truss was, on September 5, declared the winner of the internal elections in the Conservative Party to succeed Boris Johnson, for which she only remained in office for six weeks.
Sunak was the finalist defeated in the same election and Mordaunt the third most voted.
The former Minister of Finance confirmed this Sunday his candidacy for the leadership of the Conservative Party to replace Liz Truss as head of the United Kingdom Government.
In the account of the social network Twitter, Sunak said that the objective is to overcome the “profound economic crisis” that affects the United Kingdom and unite the party.
“The choice our party makes now will decide whether the next generation of Britons will have more opportunities than the last. That is why I am running to be their next prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party,” Sunak said.
The former minister stressed that he was in charge of the Treasury at the most “difficult” time for the country, referring to the Covid-19 pandemic, but added that “the current challenges” “are even greater.”
“But the opportunities, if we make the right decision, are phenomenal,” he added.
Source: TSF
