London After the announced departure of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, nine conservative politicians have already applied to succeed him. However, it is still unclear who will win the race. The applicants include ministers from the current government, members of parliament and former members of the government. In addition, the current Secretary of State Liz Truss is under discussion – and is even considered a favorite among the conservative base.
Badenoch has been a Member of Parliament since 2017. She held various posts as State Secretary, most recently she was responsible for the issue of equality. She has not previously been a member of the cabinet, but has been vice-chairman of the Conservative Party. Badenoch is a Brexit supporter.
The Attorney General was Secretary of State in the Brexit Ministry under Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May and resigned in protest because May’s plans for leaving the EU did not go far enough. The 42-year-old was heavily criticized by lawyers when the government wanted to break international law over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Ex-Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt
The 55-year-old came second in an internal party runoff for the Conservative presidency in mid-2019. Johnson prevailed and thus also became Prime Minister. Observers expect a more serious style of government from Hunt. For the past two years he has served as Chair of the Health Committee. According to Hunt, he voted against Johnson in a vote of no confidence in June, which he narrowly won.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
Ex-Health Minister Sajid Javid
Javid also resigned on Tuesday in protest at Johnson’s handling of the case of a Tory member accused of sexual misconduct. Former banker Javid held several government posts before heading the health ministry, resigning as finance minister in 2020. The son of Pakistani immigrants is considered an admirer of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. He finished fourth in the 2019 race to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May. Javid was for Britain to remain in the EU.
The conservative Mordaunt had supported his competitor even before Johnson was elected. Now she wants to be prime minister herself.
(Photo: Reuters)
Ex-Secretary of Defense Penny Mordaunt
No sooner had Johnson become prime minister than he relieved Mordaunt of the defense portfolio. Mordaunt had supported Johnson’s rival Hunt. The staunch Brexit supporter is Secretary of State in the Department of Commerce.
She called the lockdown parties behind the recent no-confidence vote against Johnson shameful and said voters wanted the government to be professional and competent. The Johnson opponent is traded among the Conservatives as a favorite.
Transport Secretary Grent Shapps
Shapps has been Transport Secretary in Johnson’s cabinet since 2019. He previously held various posts as Secretary of State and was General Secretary of the Conservative Party. He has been in Parliament since 2005. The 53-year-old is loyal to Johnson and has often been commissioned by the government to appear before the press on his behalf.
He wants to combat the high cost of living and set up a crisis budget within the first 100 days. This should lower taxes for the poorest and allow state aid for companies with high energy requirements.
Foreign politician Tom Tugendhat
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the House of Commons could offer the Conservatives a clear conclusion to the Johnson era. The 49-year-old has been critical of Johnson for years, but has not yet held a cabinet post. The former soldier served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Rishi Sunak, the former finance minister, is also running for the post of prime minister.
(Photo: dpa)
Ex-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak
Sunak resigned on Tuesday, saying Britons had a right to expect “proper, competent and serious” government work. For a long time, Sunak was considered the favorite to succeed Johnson. He earned merits in the corona pandemic with a rescue program for the economy. However, given the skyrocketing cost of living, many Britons believe his ministry’s support is too low and the taxes too high.
Like Johnson, the 42-year-old was fined for violating lockdown requirements. Sunak announced his candidacy for party chairmanship in a video on Friday. He promised honesty, seriousness and determination. “Someone has to seize the moment and make the right decisions,” he said in the video.
According to opinion polls, the former finance minister is also popular with the conservative base. However, he is also a controversial candidate, as the politician passed an extra tax on the profits of energy companies and is thus reviled as a socialist by the conservatives.
Read more on the UK government crisis:
Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi
The 55-year-old was Minister of Education until recently. He gained sympathy above all when he was still responsible for the Covid vaccinations in the government. The campaign was one of the fastest in the world. The former Iraqi refugee, who came to Britain as a child, has had a meteoric career that sets him apart from his competitors.
Just last week, Zahawi said it would be a privilege for him to become prime minister. Shortly before Johnson’s resignation on Thursday, Zahawi had asked Johnson to do so. He himself had been appointed Treasury Secretary by Johnson less than 48 hours earlier.
The Foreign Minister herself has not yet expressed an interest in the post, but is already discussing it.
(Photo: Reuters)
Secretary of State Liz Truss
The 46-year-old is considered the darling of the conservative base. In Johnson’s government, she was foreign trade secretary for two years before the staunch Brexit supporter was appointed foreign secretary. Since last year she has also represented British positions as chief negotiator in Brussels at the EU.
Truss carefully cultivates her public image: last year she had herself photographed in a tank, which is reminiscent of a well-known picture of Prime Minister Thatcher. Shortly before Johnson’s resignation, she promised him her full support. Shortly thereafter, she declared that Johnson made the right decision in leaving. There is already speculation in the media that she might announce her candidacy on Monday.
The foreign minister is the only grassroots favorite currently represented in the government. According to the “Mail on Sunday”, she wants to compete with “classic conservative principles”. In an opinion poll for Channel 4 News of Tory members choosing between the two most popular candidates, Rishi Sunak comes first and Liz Truss second.
More: Low taxes are not enough: Johnson’s successor must reinvent Great Britain