Outgoing UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to leave office later this year after many scandals.
For a long time, observers and his supporters saw him as a Teflon politician.
However, the assessment was wrong. A scandal called “Partygate,” and a groping allegation involving a top official got the best of him. Johnson’s Conservative Party and his critics are ready to turn the page on years of tumultuous leadership.
The race to replace Johnson is now fully underway, although not long ago, some thought he would find a loophole to stay in power a little longer after announcing his resignation.
The leading players to succeed him have been eyeing this moment for a long while. However, the contest comes at a time when many of them are facing their own set of challenges.
Two candidates take lead in race to become the next Conservative Party leader
Rishi Sunak, 42, was seen as Johnson’s successor in the Conservative leadership post. However, the former chancellor has some apparent weaknesses.
Earlier this year, it was revealed that Sunak and his wife have non-domicile tax status in the United Kingdom. Moreover, he continued to hold a US Green Card while working as a minister.
After earning praises for his handling of his country’s finances during the COVID-19 pandemic, his popularity fell apart over soaring inflation.
After Johnson’s resignation, bookmakers quickly saw Sunak as a favorite for the job. So far, they have been right on this. Experts say that he will likely be among the final two candidates.
A few observers say it seems that the mini-scandals will not be able to stop the rising star in his meeting with destiny.
On the third ballot Monday, he received 115 votes. Former Defence Minister Penny Mordaunt, 49, got the backing of 80. Mordaunt was always seen as a top-tier candidate.
She was the second name in a Conservative Home poll two weeks ago behind Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, 52.
The trade minister was quick to put some distance between Johnson and herself in recent months.
Mordaunt has many great qualities that make her an interesting possibility as a Johnson replacement. Politically, she could represent some form of compromise between the different factions of the Conservative movement.
Underdogs are looking for a spot
UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, 46, is a very agile and capable political figure. She has become one of
the loudest Brexit supporters in recent years after campaigning for remain in 2016.
Her presence in the media suggests that she knows how to play the insider’s game. According to reports, she has spent the past few months gauging her support in the party.
She quickly denied those stories saying that she is not focused on getting the Prime Minister gig. Nonetheless, most experts agree that she is going to make a serious play for the position. She got 71 votes.
The fourth candidate on the third ballot is Minister of State for Local Government, Faith and Communities Kemi Badenoch, 42, with 58 votes.
She is the one that no one saw coming. However, after Wallace decided not to run for the position, her candidacy gained some steam. Is this enough to finish ahead of the other better-known candidates? The upcoming days will reveal quite a bit because the race to succeed Johnson has become quite bitter.
Over 200,000 Conservative Party members will vote by September 5 to pick their next leader and likely Prime Minister.
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