Status: 10/24/2022 11:37 am
Will Britain get a new prime minister today? Rishi Sunak currently has the best chance of taking office. Why is that? And what is the key hurdle for the candidacy of Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Mordaunt?
Candidates can still submit their application for the top post at British Tories until the afternoon (3:00 p.m. CEST). Due to the regulations and the current Tory majority in the House of Commons, the winning candidate then also succeeds the outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss. However, only candidates who have the support of at least 100 Tory MPs have a chance.
If only one applicant clears this hurdle, the decision on the future prime minister would have been made today. If at least two applications get the necessary backing, the parliamentary group would first vote between the candidates. If the finalists are still in the running, the decision would be up to the party base in the form of a short-term online vote. The successor to Truss should be determined by Friday at the latest.
Sunak is favorite
The most promising candidate is ex-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak. Former banker Sunak was Treasury Secretary from 2019 until July this year, before resigning in protest at Johnson’s numerous affairs, contributing to the premature end of his term. The relationship between the men was previously considered tense and has since been broken. In early September, Sunak lost to Truss in the race to succeed Johnson.
Yesterday, Sunday, Sunak formally declared his renewed candidacy. “The UK is a great country but we are facing a deep economic crisis,” he wrote on Twitter. He announced that he wanted to “fix our economy, unite our party and do something for our country”.
Son of Indian parents
Sunak would be the first British leader from an ethnic minority background in Britain. His curriculum vitae in brief: 42 years old, born in Southampton to parents of Indian descent – his father a doctor, his mother a pharmacist. Education at the elite universities of Oxford and Stanford, then analyst for the investment bank Goldman Sachs.
Sunak is married to Akshata Murthy, daughter of an Indian steel magnate. She is one of the richest women in the world. The couple have two daughters. The fact that Sunak’s wife was not officially registered in Great Britain and thus saved millions in taxes was revealed in the spring. A legal procedure, but one that required explanation. Then Sunak also received a fine as part of the Downing Street Partygate investigation for violating Corona rules.
Sunak wants to be the new prime minister.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/AP
Sunak is considered smart and cold. As far as tax issues are concerned, he follows the conservative policies of Margaret Thatcher and does not see taxes as a regulator of short-term income redistribution. He has already taken on Prime Minister Johnson over tax issues, and he warned against tax cuts that were too quick, with which his opponent Liz Truss scored points in September. After their failure, he now benefits from the fact that he had previously regarded Truss’ course as the wrong path.
Annette Dittert, ARD London, with information on the possible new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak: “So the prospect of Sunak as the new British Prime Minister would bring a little stability to Great Britain, at least in the medium or short term.”
tagesschau24 11:00 a.m., 24.10.2022
Second candidate: Mordaunt
Penny Mordaunt, Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs, is the second candidate. The 49-year-old is popular among the party’s grassroots and wants to continue fighting for the necessary support in the conservative faction, despite her rival Sunak’s large lead.
Annette Dittert, ARD London, on Penny Mordaunt’s chances of success as British Prime Minister
Tagesschau 12:00 p.m., 24.10.2022
The BBC reported this morning, citing sources in Mordaunt’s campaign team, that the former defense secretary will definitely run in a grassroots runoff if she gets the necessary support from 100 Tory MPs. This threshold is “within reach,” said her team in the morning. Mordaunt is in talks with colleagues across the party. However, according to various media counts, only around 25 members of parliament spoke out in favor of the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs.
Will not give up: Mordaunt.
Image: picture alliance / empics
She announced her candidacy even before Sunak. “I have been heartened by the support of colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest,” she said on Twitter. As party leader and prime minister, she wants to unite the country, implement the Tories’ election promises and win the next general election.
If Mordaunt does not get at least 100 votes in the group, Sunak will become the next party and government leader by acclamation. The BBC expects that the official assumption of office as prime minister could only take place on Tuesday, because an audience with King Charles III. would be necessary.