Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Former finance minister Sunak cements lead in race to be Britain's PM

Former finance minister Sunak cements lead in race to be Britain's PM

Former finance minister Rishi Sunak cemented his lead over rivals to become Britain's next prime minister on Thursday in an increasingly bitter race to replace Boris Johnson.

Sunak, whose exit from the Treasury last week was one of the first in a cascade of resignations that forced Johnson to quit, has been the frontrunner among Conservative lawmakers despite being blamed by some for his role in Johnson's downfall.

He faces competition from Penny Mordaunt, a junior trade minister, and foreign minister Liz Truss, who launched her official campaign earlier arguing she was the only contender with the experience to take the "tough decisions" needed.

There are now five hopefuls, after Brexit supporter Attorney General Suella Braverman was knocked out of the race on Thursday for failing to reach the 30-vote threshold in the second round.

Whoever gets the job will take on rocketing inflation and low economic growth, as well as the public's lack of confidence in politics after Johnson's scandal-ridden time in power.

After maintaining his lead Sunak thanked his supporters, and said on Twitter: "I am prepared to give everything I have in service to our nation. Together we can restore trust, rebuild our economy and reunite the country."

Earlier, he took to the airwaves to say his first economic priority would be tackling high inflation, not the tax cuts pledged by his rivals.

Truss, the last hopeful to launch her official campaign, is the latest to also promise to restore trust in politics, trying to distance herself from the increasingly personal and bitter briefings and counter-briefings from the opposing camps.

"I will campaign as a Conservative and I will govern as a Conservative. I can lead, I can make tough decisions and I can get things done. I am ready to be prime minister from day one," Truss said.

Asked why she did not resign when support disappeared for Johnson prompting last week's resignation, she said: "I'm a loyal person. I'm loyal to Boris Johnson."

STILL A WAY TO GO


Those remaining -- who also include former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat, chair of parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee -- will face a third round of voting by Conservative members of parliament on Monday.

If all the candidates reach the 30-vote barrier, the one with the lowest number of votes will be dropped from the contest. Subsequent ballots will eliminate the candidate with the fewest votes each time, to whittle the field down to a final two by July 21.

The new leader will then be chosen from those two by the country's 200,000 Conservative Party members, and will be announced on Sept. 5.

Sunak might be the most popular contender with his colleagues, but a YouGov poll of nearly 900 party members found Mordaunt was the favourite, beating any of the others in a run-off. She had a huge lead over Sunak, who fared badly against almost all his rivals, and she is now the bookmakers' favourite.

Britain's economy is beset with spiralling inflation, high debt, and low growth that have left people grappling with the tightest squeeze on their finances in decades. Fuel prices have soared in an energy crunch exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

The leadership campaign is offering a glimpse of the difficulties the new prime minister might face, and of rifts within the party. Mordaunt fended off criticism from former Brexit negotiator David Frost that she was insufficiently tough towards the EU.

Tugendhat, who ranked fifth in the second round of voting, said, "It is fair that we (candidates) receive criticism ... I am asking for the trust of the British people for the highest job in the country," he told reporters.

"When you are making a big ask you should expert scrutiny and expect to present yourself to answer to questions."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
×