• Rishi Sunak's numbers continue to rise as former Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly competes to return from his Caribbean vacation
Supporters of Indian-origin Rishi Sunak said on Saturday that the former finance minister of the United Kingdom has hit the threshold of 100 members of parliament, which has selected him in the race to replace Liz Truss as British prime minister.
The 42-year-old frontrunner is reportedly joining the competition for former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to return from a Caribbean vacation.
While neither Rishi Sunak nor Boris Johnson have officially announced their intention to contest, it is only Commons candidate Penny Mordant who has formally announced her candidacy so far.
However, the former finance minister has taken a comfortable lead with some heavy Tory ministers and lawmakers from various factions of the Tory party throwing their weight behind him and betting odds are also shifting in his favor.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab told the BBC: "Sage had the right plan over the summer and I think it's the right plan now."
"I think he's the best candidate to provide some stability, to provide confidence for millions of workers and businesses up and down the country," he said.
Raab warned against a withdrawal by the Partygate scandal-hit former leader, Johnson, three months after he was forced to resign, pointing out that the UK parliament is still examining whether he has passed the lockdown law. The commons were misled on the breaking parties. Downing Street.
"We can't go back. We can't have one more episode of Groundhog Day, of the soap opera, of Partygate. We must move the country and the government forward," he said.
It came after Johnson was pictured by 'Sky News' on a flight from the Dominican Republic to London with his wife and children, indicating to his colleagues his intention to make another visit at 10 Downing Street.
The number of lawmakers publicly backing him for a comeback is around 45, but his loyalists are confident he will achieve the 100-MP figure needed by 2 p.m. local time on Monday to make the shortlist.
If there is only one candidate standing by Monday, the next week's online Tory membership vote should not take place for the winner announced on the following Friday.
Meanwhile, there is widespread speculation among supporters of both candidates that Sunak and Johnson may strike some sort of deal.
According to The Daily Telegraph, Sunak is expected to decline any offer of a cabinet role during the leadership race, as he is at the forefront and resigned from the Johnson government earlier this year.
But no clear statement of disapproval has been issued, eschewing the acceptance of the job if Johnson is indeed victorious. Sunak is being urged to offer Johnson a cabinet role, such as home secretary, to get him to agree to stand back before any vote with Tory members.
Sunak had advanced in an early round of voting among Tory lawmakers and lost to Liz Truss in the leadership contest last month in a vote of 170,000 Tory membership, who either supported Truss's now-failed tax-cutting pledges. Or saw the craze. The fall of Boris Johnson was accelerated by resigning from the post of chancellor.
No comments:
Post a Comment