Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is viewed as a front-runner in the race to replace outgoing Prime Minister Liz Truss after she announced her resignation Thursday.
Johnson would be poised to resume his previous post just weeks after he stepped down amid a series of ethical scandals that plagued his administration. Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, who ran against Truss to replace Johnson, is also seen as a favorite in the race.
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Here is a closer look at the front-runners who could replace Britain’s shortest-reigning prime minister:
BORIS JOHNSON:
Despite a scandalous and abrupt end to his tenure as British prime minister, Boris Johnson carries a lot of support from voters in the Conservative Party. Johnson led the country out of the European Union, guided the country through the COVID-19 pandemic, and was a strong ally of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, helping the United Kingdom to send aid to the country after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, Johnson has faced heavy backlash within his own party for flouting protocols during the global shutdown.
Johnson is expected to stand in the leadership contest next week, according to an editor at the Times of London, but he has yet to make a public statement.
“He’s taking soundings but is said to believe it is a matter of national interest,” the editor tweeted.
RISHI SUNAK:
Rishi Sunak also entered the runoff election to replace Johnson. The former treasury chief is considered a front-runner as the country faces economic and financial crises.
But Sunak is also considered a polarizing candidate, and some members of the party question whether he’s the right choice to reunite Conservatives after he led the call for Johnson’s resignation.
Sunak was also the person who warned of Truss’s tax breaks not being credible, calling her economic vision a “fairytale” during the debates.
PENNY MORDAUNT:
Former Defense Secretary Penny Mordaunt rose to prominence during the race to replace Johnson and finished in second, behind Sunak, for most of the rounds. However, Truss narrowly beat her in the final round. Mordaunt has since served as the leader of the House of Commons and has been both a champion and critic of Truss.
On Monday, Mordaunt defended Truss, claiming the prime minister was not “hiding under a desk,” after a lawmaker claimed she could be since she was absent that day. However, Mordaunt has distanced herself from Truss’s economic policies.
However, she is viewed by some as untested, making her a more risky choice when the party seeks unity ahead of the general election in 2025.
BEN WALLACE:
Defense Secretary Ben Wallace has received high marks from the party for his work with Ukraine and was considered a front-runner to replace Johnson over the summer. However, Wallace said he would not run for prime minister over the summer for family reasons, but he has not said whether he would throw his hat in the ring this time.
JEREMY HUNT:
Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, who had served as the foreign and health ministers under previous administrations, would also be considered a front-runner if he had chosen to run. However, Hunt said he had no interest in the office after finishing in eighth over the summer and second in 2019.
“I think having run two leadership campaigns and, by the way, failed in both of them, the desire to be leader has been clinically excised from me,” Hunt told the BBC on Sunday.
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The new election is expected to fall within the next week. It will be overseen by Graham Brady, the chairman of the committee of Conservative lawmakers. Details on how the process will unfurl have not been revealed.
Typically, prime minister elections take a couple of months after the Conservative members of Parliament choose two candidates to face off in a nationwide election. However, Brady said the new leader will be in place by Oct. 28.
