British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday that he is leaving office with his “head held high” and suggested his replacement could come sooner than September, the original date given for his departure.
The British leader floated the idea of his replacement being appointed by “acclamation” as opposed to a vote, which could expedite the process, he said during a constitutional convention known as the Prime Minister’s Questions.
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The election started with eight Conservative Party candidates vying to replace Johnson as prime minister, with a final result due on Sept. 5. Six candidates remain following the first round of votes.
Prime ministers are usually selected during elimination rounds in which candidates are whittled down until two remain. The first round of voting began Wednesday, with candidates needing 30 votes to advance. The person with the fewest votes, even if he or she still has the minimum votes, is eliminated.
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, who was a loyal supporter of Johnson prior to his resignation, emerged as the front-runner after the first round with 88 votes. Minister of State for Trade Policy Penny Mordaunt came in second with 66, and former Foreign Secretary Liz Truss came in third with 50. Other Conservative members of Parliament seeking the office include Tom Tugendhat, Suella Braverman, and Kemi Badenoch. Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi failed to reach the necessary votes.
Tugendhat told Parliament to take the election to a floor vote instead of proceeding with acclamation and said he did not want any deal-making if he advances to the final two in September.
“Whatever happens, whoever ends up being my rival in the last two, let me be absolutely clear: This is no time for any form of deal-doing or anything like that. This has got to go to a membership vote,” Tugendhat said, according to the Irish outlet Breaking News. “It absolutely must go all the way because otherwise, democracy in the party will be undermined.”
Voting rounds for the prime minister will continue Thursday, with candidates needing at least 10% of the vote. The first debate for the remaining candidates will be televised Sunday.
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New prime ministers are selected from among the party in power, which is presently the Conservative Party. The last time a prime minister was selected by acclamation was in 2016, when Theresa May was selected to replace former Prime Minister David Cameron.
Johnson tendered his resignation last week after a flurry of scandals caused him to lose the trust of his advisers, but he will remain in power until a new leader is selected.
