Last Thursday, Boris Johnson announced he would step down as leader of the Conservative Party following a massive exodus of his cabinet. In the meantime, 10 Tory members of Parliament have indicated their readiness will seek their party’s endorsement Prime Minister. 

Boris Johnson remains at 10 Downing Street until the ruling Conservative elects a new leader. The Tories will now hold a series of secret ballots, with the person with the least amount of votes each round being eliminated until only two candidates remain. 

The entire membership of the Conservative Party (around 200,000 people) will then vote between the two frontrunners, with the winner becoming not only the leader of the Conservative party but also the next Prime Minister. The results are expected to be known by September. 

Here is the list of the future potential residents of 10 Downing Street. 

Rishi Sunak

The former Chancellor of the Exchequer enjoys wide support among Tories. He is definitely among the main front-runners, especially since Defence Minister Ben Wallace ruled himself out. His departure from Johnson’s government represented a turning point in the recent unfolding of events.  

Liz Truss 

The Foreign Secretary is among the favourites in the race. She announced her candidacy on Sunday evening. She told The Telegraph about her willingness to cut taxes “from day one” in office. She has become one of the most recognisable faces in support of Ukraine since February.

Suella Braverman

Undoubtedly a serious contender as well. She told ITV that taking the country’s leadership would be “the greatest of honours”. Former candidate Steve Barley recently endorsed her.  

Sajid Javid

The former Health Secretary is also among those having a good chance of making it to the final round. He announced that one of his priorities if elected Prime Minister would be the cutting of taxes. 

Penny Mordaunt

The Minister of Trade Policy announced her candidacy last weekend. She is the second Conservative MP with the largest support among Tories so far, behind Rishi Sunak. 

Jeremy Hunt

Although he has been a member of previous governments led by Tories (Foreign Secretary and Health Secretary), he did never serve as a minister under Boris Johnson. Hunt is known for his criticism of Johnson’s taxation policy. 

Grant Shapps

The Transport Secretary is considered one of Boris Johnson’s most loyal allies. He vows to increase defence spending and proposed a policy platform including tax cuts and „state support to firms with high levels of energy consumption„.

Nadhim Zahawi

Appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer by Boris Johnson following Rishi Sunak’s departure, he presents himself as an experienced expert willing to reform the taxation system and increase defence spending. 

Kemi Badenoch

The former Equalities Minister announced her candidacy shortly after resigning as Local Government Minister. She is an advocate of “strong but limited government”. 

Tom Tugendhat

The Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee is among the outsiders of the race. He has served as an intelligence officer in the Middle East. He describes former US President Ronald Reagen as his “political hero”.

Rehman Chishti

He was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs by Boris Johnson in July 2022. 

The first ballot will likely be held on Wednesday the 13th of July 2022. It has also been announced that a leadership candidate’s debate will be televised on Sky News on Monday the 18th of July. 

Main image: Twitter (@BorisJohnson)

Images: Wikipedia

Author: Sébastien Meuwissen

Socials: