As pressure mounts against UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson not only from the opposition, but also from own Conservative Party members over the ‘partygate’ saga, several local media reports have claimed that his Indian-origin Chancellor Rishi Sunak may likely replace him.
The 57-year-old embattled PM has been facing the wrath of the public ever since he acknowledged hosting and attending a ‘bring your booze’ party at 10 Downing Street when a lockdown was imposed across the UK in view of the Covid virus in 2020.
There have been growing calls for Johnson to resign immediately. Several Tory MPs have publicly expressed the inability of Johnson to handle the crisis and called for his resignation.
The MPs are currently waiting for the senior civil servant Sue Gray to finish the probe report before deciding on Johnson’s fate.
The Tory MP Tobias Ellwood, a former foreign office minister, said that Johnson had to demonstrate within days that he could end the chaos for good and demonstrate a new kind of leadership.
Also read | More trouble for Boris Johnson as Downing Street staff held ‘wine-time Fridays’ during Covid lockdown
“But if he tries to spin his way out of a critical report, he will lose my support,” he told the Guardian.
Tim Loughton, Conservative MP for East Worthing and Shoreham, wrote on Twitter, “I have regretfully come to the conclusion that Boris Johnson’s position is now untenable, that his resignation is the only way to bring this whole unfortunate episode to an end, and I am working with colleagues to impress that view on No 10.”
The name of Rishi Sunak has been doing the rounds ever since the ‘partygate’ saga came to the fore.
A major bookmaker in the UK — Betfair — has slashed its odds against Johnson, in favour of finance minister Sunak to step in at 10 Downing Street.
Also read | ‘Bring your own booze party’ row: Johnson says sorry as oppn tears into his ‘worthless’ apology
“In terms of a replacement, long term favourite Rishi Sunak still heads the betting at 15/8, with (Foreign Secretary) Liz Truss at 11/4 and (Cabinet Minister) Michael Gove at 6/1 the next two most likely alternatives should the PM vacate Number 10,” Betfair’s Sam Rosbottom told ‘Wales Online’.
Moreover, his conspicuous absence from the House of Commons chamber on Wednesday when Johnson issued his apology, was perceived by many as reflective of his own leadership ambitions.
Sunak, who was away on a business visit, tweeted much later in the evening to say that “the PM was right to apologise and I support his request for patience while Sue Gray carries out her enquiry”.
Watch | Gravitas: Tories want Rishi Sunak to be UK’S next Prime Minister
Some British newspapers have interpreted the timing and content of Sunak’s message of support as lukewarm backing for his boss and neighbour in Downing Street, the BBC reported.
Who is Rishi Sunak?
UK-born Sunak is the son of a pharmacist mother and a National Health Service (NHS) general practitioner (GP) father. He is an Oxford University and Stanford graduate.
He is married to Akshata Murty, the daughter of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy, and the couple has two young daughters Krishna and Anoushka.
The MP for Richmond in Yorkshire first entered the UK Parliament in 2015 and has quickly risen up the Tory party ranks as a staunch Brexiteer, who had backed Johnson’s strategy to leave the European Union (EU).
(With inputs from agencies)
