Boris Johnson has resigned as leader of the Conservative Party, but he wants to remain prime minister for the time being. After the political quake in Great Britain, eight candidates can be considered as successors.
After the numerous scandals for Boris Johnson remained largely without consequences for a long time, there has recently been an open revolt against the British Prime Minister. Johnson has at least resigned as Conservative leader. He will hold on to his position as head of government for the time being. So far there is no clear favorite in the race for his successor. An overview of the possible candidates:
Britain’s first Hindu finance minister has long been seen as a favorite to succeed Johnson. But questions about his considerable private fortune and tax tricks by his family have recently damaged his reputation. Sunak resigned as Treasury Secretary on Tuesday in protest at Johnson’s leadership, fueling speculation about his own ambitions.
The 42-year-old is successful in the online networks and his economic policy in the Corona crisis brought him a lot of approval. In the current debate about the sharp rise in the cost of living, however, he initially rejected further aid for the population, which hurt his popularity ratings.
The former investment banker and son of a bus driver of Pakistani origin belongs to the business-liberal wing of the conservatives. In 2020 he had already resigned as finance minister in a dispute with Johnson, but was reappointed to the cabinet as health minister just over a year later.
The 52-year-old had long defended Johnson, but has now resigned again along with Finance Minister Sunak. Like Sunak, however, Javid has been criticized for his wealth and tax tricks.
The defense minister has gained popularity in the wake of the Ukraine crisis. The 52-year-old former officer is known for being straightforward and competent. In a poll of Tory members published on Thursday, he would be the top favorite in a new party leader election.
“Some of us have an obligation to uphold the security of the country, whoever the prime minister is,” Wallace said Thursday, confirming he would remain in office despite the mass resignations.
In 2019 she became Britain’s first female defense secretary, and the 49-year-old is currently Minister of State for Foreign Trade. In 2016 she fought for Brexit. The Royal Navy reservist is considered a good speaker.
Some see her as a compromise candidate for the divided Tories’ presidency. According to a YouGov poll, she has the second best chance of becoming party leader after Wallace.
The former foreign and health secretary lost to the Conservatives in 2019 for the party leadership. At the time, he presented himself as the “serious” alternative compared to Johnson and his clown image. The former businessman, who speaks fluent Japanese, is considered to be particularly resilient but not very charismatic.
Over the past month, Hunt has unabashedly launched a new attempt to challenge the party leader with clear criticism of the party leader. Under Johnson’s leadership, voters “would no longer trust us,” the 55-year-old warned that a defeat in the next parliamentary elections was inevitable.
The foreign minister is valued in the conservative party for her openness and assertiveness. However, it has also raised questions about her judgement, for example when she called on Britons to fight in Ukraine in February. Critics accuse the 46-year-old of making herself vulnerable through her frankness.
Sunak’s successor as Finance Minister had previously made a name for himself as responsible for Britain’s corona vaccination campaign. Before that he was Minister of Education.
The 55-year-old came to Britain as a child as a refugee from Iraq. Before he went into politics, he founded the well-known opinion research institute YouGov. Zahawi’s reputation is also overshadowed by questions about his private fortune.
The 49-year-old former army officer is a prominent MP and chairman of the influential Foreign Affairs Committee. He has indicated a candidacy in the event of a change in leadership, but within the party the camp of Johnson supporters is critical of him.
Among other things, he made a name for himself with a tough stance on China and criticism of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
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