LONDON (AP) – Nominations in the race to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson closed on Tuesday, with eight Conservative lawmakers securing enough support from their colleagues to make the first ballot.
Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid, whose resignation helped bring Johnson down, was a surprise casualty, failing to make the cut.
Candidates needed backing from at least 20 fellow legislators to be on the ballot for run-off votes.
The successful contenders include former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt and backbench lawmaker Tom Tugendhat. Also on the ballot are Treasury Chief Nadhim Zahawi, ex-Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Attorney General Suella Braverman.
Javid quit the race yesterday after failing to get the 20 supporters. He said serving in government had been “a true privilege”.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and lawmaker Rehman Chisti, also pulled out after struggling to gather support.
The candidates are jostling to replace Johnson, who quit as Conservative leader last week amid a party revolt triggered by months of ethics scandals.
He will remain in office as a caretaker prime minister until his replacement as party chief is chosen. The winner of that contest will automatically become prime minister.
The new leader will be chosen in a two-stage election, in which the 358 Conservative lawmakers reduce the race to two candidates through a series of elimination votes. The final pair will be put to a ballot of party members across the country.
Voting will take place this week and, if needed, next week.
The party aims to complete the parliamentary stage of the election before lawmakers break for the summer on July 21.
The two finalists would spend the rest of the summer campaigning around the country.
The new leader is due to be announced when the House of Commons returns on September 5.
Many Conservatives are wary of leaving Johnson in office for too long, concerned a lame-duck leader is the last thing Britain needs with war raging in Ukraine, food and energy price increases driving inflation to levels not seen in decades, and growing labour unrest.
Some also worry Johnson could do mischief during his final months in office.
In the wide-open leadership contest, contenders are striving to set themselves apart from the perceived front-runner, former Treasury secretary Sunak, who already has the backing of more than three dozen lawmakers.
Many have repudiated the tax increases Sunak introduced to shore up United Kingdom finances battered by the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit – a 1.25 per cent income-tax rise for millions of workers, and an increase in corporation tax next year from 19 per cent to 25 per cent. Most candidates said they will scrap one or both.
Sunak, whose resignation a week ago helped topple Johnson, has cast himself as the candidate of fiscal probity. Launching his campaign for Tory leader on Tuesday, Sunak said the country needed “honesty and responsibility, not fairytales” to get through tough economic times.
