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UK Political Crisis: Who Are the Candidates Seeking to Replace PM Boris Johnson?

Boris Johnson was forced to step down last week after the the latest in a string of controversies prompted mass resignations from within his Conservative Party.

July 11, 2022

Author

Statecraft Staff
UK Political Crisis: Who Are the Candidates Seeking to Replace PM Boris Johnson? 
The 1922 Committee of the party will convene to set out the rules and timeline for the leadership competition.
IMAGE SOURCE: VOA NEWS

11 members of the Conservative Party have applied to replace British Prime Minister (PM) Johnson as both the leader of the party and the country after the embattled leader tendered his resignation last week in the wake of mass resignations. 

On Monday, the 1922 Committee of the party will convene to set out the rules and timeline for the leadership competition. Nominations will close on Tuesday.

By July 21, before the House of Commons disperses for its summer recess, the Committee will bring down the number of contendors to two. Thereafter, all party members from across the United Kingdom (UK) will vote for the final choice for party leader and PM. Until this process is concluded, which is expected to be around September, Johnson will continue to serve as the PM.

Here’s a list of all those eyeing Johnson’s position:

Jeremy Hunt

During the 2019 vote that led to Johnson’s appointment as PM, former Foreign Secretary Hunt received the second largest number of votes in the Conservatives’ leadership contest.

Hunt has often opposed Johnson and even supported the UK remaining in the EU in the 2016 Brexit vote. Due to their differences, Hunt voted against Johnson in the vote of no confidence conducted last month.

Speaking about his bid to become PM, Hunt vowed to “restore trust, grow economy, and win the next election.” He added that he was the only “major contender” among the Conservatives that hadn’t served in Johnson’s government, as he “called out what was going wrong” long before the others and was not “defending the indefensible.”

Rishi Sunak

Rishi Sunak, Johnson’s close aide and former chancellor of the exchequer, has also submitted his bid to be appointed as the next PM. He vowed to address the economic situation with “honesty, seriousness, and determination.” In fact, his decision to step down last week led to a landslide of resignations by other MPs, envoys, and aides from the Conservative Party.

As the chancellor, Sunak was applauded for his COVID-19 economic rescue program, making him the most popular candidate to replace Johnson. 

However, he has also been caught in the middle of several controversies. He was criticised for not giving sufficient cost of living allowance to households and breaking COVID-19 lockdown rules by attending gatherings in Downing Street, Reports about his wife’s non-domicile tax status, which provided her exemptions from paying tax to the UK, have also dented public confidence in him. 

Furthermore, he has taken a vocal pro-immigrant stand, citing the example of his grandmother who immigrated to the UK in search of better opportunities. However, this may not sit well with Tories and their largely anti-immigrant stand.

Penny Mordaunt

Former Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt has also applied to be nominated to Johnson’s position and is currently the second most popular candidate.

She said the UK “needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship.” Over the years, she has held several positions in successive governments and was the first woman to become the Minister for Armed Forces and the Secretary of State for Defence.

However, her nomination, too, is not without controversy. In 2019, Johnson fired her as Defence Secretary for supporting his rival, Jeremy Hunt, in the 2019 leadership contest.

Suella Braverman

Serving as the current attorney-general, Braverman has vowed to “move heaven and earth” to revive the British peoples’ trust in the government.

However, she has faced criticism over the government’s decision to violate the Northern Ireland Protocol with the European Union (EU) by unilaterally changing post-Brexit rules. In fact, she was a strong advocate for the UK’s departure from the bloc and even served as a junior minister in former PM Theresa May’s Brexit Department.

Liz Truss

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, meanwhile, has said that it is time to restore Conservative values. She has held several positions in the British government and also served as the lead negotiator with the EU in the post-Brexit deal negotiations.

Truss has been criticised by some for vociferously speaking out against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his military invasion into Ukraine, which critics say is responsible for increasing tensions with Moscow.

Truss, however, has defended her stance, saying “I am putting myself forward because I can lead, deliver and make the tough decisions.” She also vowed to bring in major tax cuts “from day one.”

Tom Tugendhat

Tugendhat serves as the current chair of the foreign affairs committee and was the founder of the China Research Group in 2020, which resulted in a ban on his entry into China, Hong Kong, and Macau. He also worked as a soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, he was promoted to the position of a major in the British Territorial Army.

Taking to Twitter, he said that he was seeking to revive the collapsing trust in politics and the Conservative Party.

However, his lack of experience in the government has raised questions about his candidacy.

Kemi Badenoch

Prior to resigning last week in opposition to Johnson’s leadership, Badenoch served as the Equalities Minister and Local Government, Faith, and Communities Minister. She vowed to combat the “platitudes and empty rhetoric” tainting British politics.

During her tenure as Equalities Minister, Badenoch saw calls for her resignation from LGBT groups over a delay in banning gay conversion therapy.

Nadhim Zahawi

Zawahi was appointed as Sunak’s replacement as the UK’s new chancellor of the exchequer last week. He has previously served as the Education Secretary and the Vaccines Minister. Zahawi is a unique candidate, as he is a former refugee from Iraq. He also co-founded the polling company “YouGov” before entering politics in 2010.

However, speculations regarding his personal finances caused civil servants to believe that his bid for candidacy had “clearly been smeared.” However, in response, he denied any allegations of tax fraud and vowed to publish his accounts annually once appointed as PM.

Sajid Javid

Former Health Minister Sajid Javid was the first minister to step down from Johnson’s cabinet last week. In fact, he had also resigned as the chancellor of the exchequer in 2020 after Johnson dismissed Javid’s aide without consulting with him.

In 2019, Javid placed fourth in the Tory leadership contest. Speaking of his recent candidacy and his repeated opposition to Johnson, he said, “There's only so many times you can turn that machine on and off before you realise something is fundamentally wrong.”

Grant Shapps

Shapps was first elected in 2005 and has served as the Secretary of State for Transport since 2019. He has often supported Johnson and has remained a close aide, even through the PM’s several scandals. However, on Sunday, he announced his bid to replace Johnson and said that “with the right leaders” the UK’s “best days” are yet to come.

Shapps was tainted by controversy in 2012 after he was accused of using a fake name to pose as a millionaire web guru. He duped customers into believing that they could make $20,000 in 20 days. He was later also accused of making a fake account to edit and eliminate information on his and other politicians’ Wikipedia pages.

Rehman Chishti

Chishti’s political career began in 1999 when he served as former Pakistani PM Benazir Bhutto’s advisor for eight years. He further served as the vice-chair of the Conservative Party for Communities in 2018 and was also the PM’s trade envoy to Pakistan from 2017-2018.

He is considered to be the least likely candidate to win the leadership contest to replace Johnson. However, Chishti said he offers the UK a “fresh start,” noting, “For me, it's important to ensure everyone who works hard, who's determined, who perseveres, that they have a government that is on their side, and that means lower taxes, small state, big society.”

Apart from the 11 above-mentioned candidates, Home Secretary Priti Patel has also said that she would consider applying, remarking that she has more support than several other candidates. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Ben Wallace clarified that he had no intention to stand for PM and would instead focus on “keeping this great country safe.”

Author

Statecraft Staff

Editorial Team

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