British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he would not support any of the 11 candidates now vying to succeed him. The race, whose exact calendar must be specified on Monday evening, is already very open and brutal.
“I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone’s chances by offering my support,” he said in his first public appearance since stepping down last Thursday.
After a weekend at Chequers, the prime ministers’ country residence, Mr Johnson also said he was “determined to pursue the mandate given to us” and that the next head of government would have “a very good program to continue”.
“But my job is above all to supervise the procedure for the next few weeks,” he added, refusing to return to the events of last week. Interior Minister Priti Patel might position herself during the day in the race to replace him.
On Sunday evening, Foreign Minister Liz Truss, 46, rushed into battle, joining former ministers Rishi Sunak (Finance), 42, and Sajid Javid (Health), 52.
Also among the heavyweights are Secretary of State for International Trade Penny Mordaunt, 49, and newly minted Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi, 55, who has already been attacked for allegedly, according to press reports, the subject of a tax investigation. Believing that we are trying to “dirty” him, he promised to publish his tax return each year, if he became Prime Minister.
Billions of promises
In the absence of a clear favourite, the race promises to be as short as it is brutal, with the risk of an escalation of attacks and empty promises, in a country in the midst of a cost of living crisis with inflation at 9, 1%.
Most of the candidates immediately put tax cuts at the heart of their campaign, which is very anchored on the right, without explaining how to finance them.
Liz Truss has promised to tackle it “from day one”. Rishi Sunak, already violently attacked by Boris Johnson’s allies who accuse him of treason, warned on the contrary once morest “fairy tales comforting at the moment but which will make the situation worse for our children tomorrow”.
The Labor Party, the first opposition party, calculated that the combined announcements of the candidates represented some 200 billion pounds (234 billion francs).
Schedule to be specified
The timing and terms of the race are to be finalized on Monday evening by the 1922 Committee, a Conservative parliamentary group in the House that oversees the election of the party leader.
Candidates running will likely have to show they have the support of 36 MPs to reach the second round, the committee’s executive secretary, Bob Blackman, told Sky news on Monday. To date, only Rishi Sunak has reached that number, according to a tally by Politico.
In a very fluid race, three candidates had the favors of the bookmakers on Monday, Rishi Sunak, followed by Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss.
Nominations might close on Tuesday evening, with elimination votes to begin immediately, so that only two finalists remain when the parliamentary recess begins on July 22. Television channel Sky News announced a debate between the candidates on July 18.
The finalists will then have a few weeks to campaign, the aim being that the final vote to appoint the new leader of the Conservative party, open only to party members, takes place no later than September. He will become Prime Minister, the party having the majority in the Chamber.
Until then, Boris Johnson, forced to resign Thursday following a mutiny within his government tired of scandals and lies, remains in Downing Street.
Last week, he made clear that his government, hastily rebuilt following dozens of departures in 48 hours, would not seek to implement new policies or make major changes. The big budgetary decisions will be left to the next Prime Minister.
This article has been published automatically. Sources: ats / afp
