Who'll replace Rishi Sunak as next Tory leader? Here are the top five candidates
Rishi Sunak
After a demoralising electoral thrashing, the Tories, still licking their wounds, are faced with the proposition of choosing the next party leader. Rishi Sunak on Friday (Jul 5) announced that he would be stepping down as the Tory leader once the formal arrangements for selecting his successor were in place.
At this stage, it remains unclear who will replace Sunak as the Tory leader as several expected frontrunners, including Penny Mordaunt,ex-Defence SecretaryGrant Shapps and former Transport Secretary Mark Harper have lost their constituencies.
Outgoing Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has already ruled himself out of the race, saying "time has passed", referring to the previous two instances when he contested for the position unsuccessfully.
Hunt is one of the most experienced of the surviving Tory MPs.He first became chancellor under Liz Truss’s short-lived premiership after she was forced to ditch Kwasi Kwarteng following an ill-judged budget.
Suella Braverman
With Hunt out of the way, Suella Braverman - another alumnusof the Trussadministration, is being touted as the possible choice to replace Sunak. Having served as home secretary under the last two PMs, she could be the most hardcore right-wing candidate for the job.
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Boris Johnson
Having served as the PM during a tumultuous three-year period between 2019 to 2022, Boris Johnson remains the dark horse for the job. Despite his unceremonious exit owing to Partygate, Johnson enjoys significant support amongst the Tories, as was visible at a rallyjust before the polling day.
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Priti Patel
Priti Patel served as the home secretary when Boris Johnson was in No. 10. However, since then, Patel has remained on the sidelines, observing the self-implosion by the Sunak administration. She went to war alongside Johnson on the 'Rwanda asylum plan' and hence her promotion as the party chief could bind the Tories together.
James Cleverly
Another former home secretary, James Cleverly, has an extensive CV that makes him one of the top choices for the job. However, he is known for taking a centrist stance on numerous Tory policies. Up until now, he has not denied calling the Rwanda policy "bats**t" which could somewhat dent his chances.
Tom Tugendhat
TomTugendhat ran for the top party position in 2022 and finished fifth. Regarded as one of the most centrist leaders,Tugendhat has chaired theForeign Affairs Committee previously and could have an outside chance of being Sunak's successor.
In the meantime, Sunak, the outgoing Conservative leader has appointed a new interim chief whip to hold Keir Starmer's new Labour government accountable.The former prime minister appointed Stuart Andrew to the position as part of his duties overseeing the transition of the Conservatives into the Opposition.
(With inputs from agencies)