Number of applicants rises to eleven
Truss is also running to succeed Johnson
7/11/2022 12:46 am
After the announced resignation of British Prime Minister Johnson, ten conservative politicians have already applied to succeed him. Secretary of State Liz Truss is now announcing her candidacy – she is one of the narrower circle of favourites.
British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is running to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The 46-year-old announced her candidacy for the party leadership of the ruling Tories in an op-ed for the Daily Telegraph newspaper. She is able to “lead, deliver results and make tough decisions,” Truss wrote.
“I have a clear vision of where we need to go and the experience and determination to get us there.” “I will fight like a conservative and govern like a conservative in this election,” added the Secretary of State. The candidature of the 46-year-old had been expected. Shortly following Truss, Tory MP Rehman Chishti also threw his hat in the ring. The number of candidates in the race to succeed conservative party and government leader Johnson has risen to eleven.
Three political heavyweights announced their candidacy on Saturday: Health Minister Sajid Javid, who resigned, Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi and former Health and Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt. Foreign Trade Secretary Penny Mordaunt also entered the running for party leadership on Sunday morning. Like Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, who resigned on Tuesday and announced his candidacy on Friday, Truss is one of the narrower circle of favourites.
The prime minister announced his resignation as party leader on Thursday following an unprecedented internal party revolt over a series of scandals. This also sealed his end as head of government. However, he announced that he would remain in office until a successor was elected, which might last until autumn. A timetable for the election of the Conservative Tory party leader is to be worked out on Monday. The party official responsible for this, Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, said on British radio on Sunday that there might be two candidates for a runoff election by July 20. Johnson’s successor might then be determined by September.
