Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak will be the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Conservative Party.
The confirmation comes after his only potential opponent, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew from the race and announced his support for the candidate, the only one to have secured the necessary 100 signatures.
Thus Sunak became Britain’s first Afro-Hindu head of government and is now tasked with navigating the crisis in the country, after his predecessor Liz Truss lasted only 44 days in office.
Rishi Sunak nearly faced competition for the position with Conservative Benny Mordaunt, who tried hard to get the 100 signatures needed to run, but was unsuccessful.
Earlier this afternoon (local time), Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the race and announced her support for Sunak. We have chosen our new prime minister. This decision is historic and once again shows the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi wrote in a statement posted on Twitter.
“We all owe it to this country, to each other and to Rishi to unite and work together for the good of the nation. There is a lot of work ahead.”
According to the chairman of the 1922 Committee, the council of the parliamentary group that organizes internal elections, Graham Brady, only Rishi Sunak was able to put forward a valid candidacy.
He announced that “Rishi Sunak has thus been elected leader of the Conservative Party”.
Another potential candidate, Boris Johnson, had already withdrawn from the race on Sunday night (23).
new government
Sunak is due to meet King Charles III later on Monday at Buckingham Palace until the new government is formally formed.
This afternoon, a meeting between Sunak and some ministers is also expected. The new Conservative leader will invite those he intends to remove and those with whom he intends to continue.
On Wednesday (26), Sunak will answer the first questions from the opposition and his party in parliament.
The former finance minister is now facing a serious economic and financial crisis, the country is on the brink of recession and pressure is being placed on it to cut public spending.
At the same time, he faces growing opposition from civil servants, such as teachers and nurses, who demand higher wages, and from the Labor Party, which has a lead of about 30 percentage points in opinion polls.
Conservative Party
Sunak succeeds Liz Truss, who resigned on Thursday (20th) due to growing discontent with the government, but remains in the position on a temporary basis.
On 5 September, Truss was declared the winner of the Conservative internal election, to succeed Boris Johnson. I only held this position for six weeks.
Sunak and Penny Mordaunt also contested the party’s internal election in September. The second most voted was Penny Mordaunt, and the third most voted.
The article was expanded at 11:05.
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Amelia Kensington is a contributor to Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, presenting complex topics in an accessible and engaging way while maintaining a strong commitment to accuracy and relevance.