Two resignations in one year. For Britain and the ruling Conservatives, 2022 is a tough one. Now the party is in the process of quickly clarifying the successor to Truss. There can be three candidates. In addition to others, Johnson, who only resigned in July, is said to be in the starting blocks.
A maximum of three candidates can run to succeed outgoing British Prime Minister Liz Truss. The potential successors must be supported by at least 100 MPs, Tory MP Graham Brady explained to the press.
Nominations must be made by Monday noon. As there are only 357 Conservative MPs, a maximum of three candidates can be nominated. After that, the deputies must either agree on two candidates, which the 170,000 party members will decide on in an online vote by October 28 – or they directly choose a candidate who moves into Downing Street. “We set the bar high, but it’s doable for any serious candidate (…),” Brady explained.
Potential contenders for Truss’s successor include former Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak, who previously lost to Truss in the race for the post, and former Interior Secretary Suella Braverman, who resigned on Wednesday. House leader Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson, who according to The Times newspaper is considering a return in the name of “the national interest”, could also run.
After only six chaotic weeks in office, Truss had previously thrown in the towel as a result of massive pressure from within his own party. The head of government announced her resignation today, Thursday, making her the head of government with the shortest term in British history. Her successor at the head of the party – and thus the next prime minister – should be known by next week.
