These 10 Candidates Are Vying To Replace Boris Johnson As U.K. Prime Minister

Topline

Since British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Thursday he would step down as leader of the Conservative Party after a stunning mass exodus of his cabinet, 10 Tory members of Parliament have indicated they will seek their party’s support to become the next prime minister—here’s who could be the next resident of 10 Downing Street.

Key Facts

The latest to throw their hat in the ring is foreign secretary Liz Truss, who announced her candidacy Sunday evening and told The Telegraph she hopes to cut taxes from “day one” in office.

It comes hours after international trade minister Penny Mordaunt announced her candidacy Sunday morning, saying the next prime minister’s model of leadership “needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship.”

Among the leading candidates is Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor of the Exchequer, whose sudden departure from Johnson’s cabinet on Tuesday—sparked by what he described as disagreements over economic policy—helped kick off the wave of resignations.

Two former health secretaries, Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, also say they intend to run for prime minister, telling The Telegraph in separate interviews that they aim to cut taxes (Javid publicly resigned from Johnson’s cabinet minutes before Sunak).

Also in the crowded field are Tom Tugendhat, chair of the House of Commons foreign affairs committee, and former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch.

Key Background

Johnson chose to resign after three years as prime minister amid a wave of recent scandals, including revelations of parties at 10 Downing Street that violated Covid-19 protocols and allegations he was aware of sexual misconduct claims against a senior member of Parliament. Johnson says he will remain prime minister until the Conservative Party—which holds a majority in the House of Commons—selects a new leader, a process which could take months. After candidates announce they want to run for prime minister, the party holds a series of secret ballots, with the person with the least amount of votes each round being eliminated until only two candidates remain. The entire membership of the Conservative Party–estimated to be around 200,000 people–will vote between those two frontrunners, and the winner will become both the leader of the party and the next prime minister.

What To Watch For

The field could get even more crowded. Home Secretary Priti Patel, a close ally of Johnson’s, will decide whether to join the race on Monday, according to The Telegraph.

Tangent

Some high-profile Conservatives have opted against seeking the job. On Friday, he told The Telegraph he would endorse Braverman instead. Defense Secretary Ben Wallace—who polling among Conservative Party members indicates he is a favorite to replace Johnson—said Saturday he decided to not join the race. MP Steve Baker suggested he would run last week, saying that if he won he would undo Johnson’s environmental policies.

Further Reading

Boris Johnson Resigns: Here’s What Happens Next As U.K. Selects New Prime Minister (Forbes)

Boris Johnson Resigns–Here’s How It All Went Wrong (Forbes)