Boris Johnson may be down to his final hours as U.K. prime minister as allies continue to desert him over his mounting scandals. Here's a look at the top candidates to replace him. 👇
Among the most likely replacements for Boris Johnson are Liz Truss, Jeremy Hunt, Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid. Photos: Victoria Jones/PA Images; Chris J. Ratcliffe; Chris Jackson; Chris J. Ratcliffe via Getty Imagesdesert him over his mounting scandals.
The race to replace him as both leader of the Conservative Party and as prime minister looks wide open. Top officials in Johnson's government, including recently-resigned Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, are likely to run, and Johnson rivals like former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt are also expected to enter the race.The first stage of the leadership election will begin with the 358 Conservative members of Parliament voting to narrow a list of declared candidates down to two. Then 180,000 or so dues-paying members of the Conservative Party will vote to elect the next leader.As the second-most powerful man in Westminster and the face of the government's popular COVID support programs, Sunak once seemed like the heir apparent — and could still be. But he was fined alongside Johnson over the "partygate" scandal and has seen his popularityThe foreign secretary stood by Johnson throughout his scandals while shaping her own hawkish image in confrontations with Moscow over the invasion of Ukraine and Brussels over Brexit. SheThe runner-up to Johnson in the 2019 leadership contest, Hunt is seen as a moderate and is positioning himself as a safe pair of hands to replace the more erratic Johnson. The former health secretary and foreign secretary now chairs Parliament's Health and Social Care Select Committee and is leading an investigation into Johnson's response to COVID.Javid was the first Cabinet member to abandon Johnson on Wednesday, then went a step further by questioning Johnson's integrity during Prime Minister's Questions. That seemed to signal he was planning another leadership bid after losing to Johnson in 2019.The defense secretary's profile has grown significantly during the war in Ukraine, during which he has been one of the strongest international proponents of arming the Ukrainians. The Army veteran and Johnson loyalist is highly popular with the Tory base and many of his Westminster colleagues.Currently minister of state of trade policy and formerly the U.K.'s first female defense secretary, Mordaunt is a popular pick to replace Johnson in part because — as a prominent Brexiteer who took a more pragmatic approach while serving in Theresa May's government — some see her as well placed to unite the Tory factions.A wealthy former businessman whose family fled Iraq under Saddam Hussein when he was 9 years old, Zahawi saw his popularity and profile rise after successfully leading the U.K.'s vaccine rollout. He was elevated to education secretary, then chancellor after Sunak's resignation. But he reportedly joined a delegation of ministers urging Johnson to quit.he delivered during the U.S. and UK's withdrawal from Afghanistan, Tugendhat was the first Conservative to openly declare his interest in running for leadership if Johnson resigned. He has chaired the Foreign Affairs Select Committee since 2017 and is a frequent critic of Johnson.
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