As crisis after crisis has engulfed Boris Johnson in recent months, so rivals of Britain’s beleaguered Prime Minister have been plotting behind closed doors to replace him.
After a dramatic cascade of nearly 60 resignations by lawmakers and government officials, Johnson was forced to begrudgingly announce on Thursday that he would step down.
Here are the potential contenders to succeed him as the new leader of the Conservative Party:
Rishi Sunak
The former chancellor was Johnson’s presumed successor for several months after he won praise for overseeing Britain’s initial financial response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
But Sunak’s stock sank earlier this year after revelations that his wife had non-domicile tax status in the UK and that he held a US green card while a minister. He is, however, still among the bookmakers’ odds-on favorites to take Johnson’s job.
Sajid Javid
Like Sunak, Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned this week over the botched handling of the resignation of Johnson’s former deputy chief whip in a sexual misconduct scandal. Although Javid’s resignation speech sounded very much like a pitch for Prime Minister, outlining how to reshape the party for future generations, it is not yet clear whether he will run.
Liz Truss
The foreign secretary, who has made her leadership ambitions known in recent years, could now be in pole position. Truss is popular among Conservative members, who would pick the eventual winner of a contest. Last month, a source working in the Foreign Office told CNN that Truss had been in “endless meetings with MPs,” and that “it’s been insinuated that she’s seeing what her support base is, should the time come.” Truss’ office denied that any covert leadership bid was coming.
Penny Mordaunt
The trade minister is one of the bookmakers’ favorites to replace Johnson. After last month’s confidence vote, Penny Mordaunt declined to comment on whether she backed Johnson, raising eyebrows among Westminster observers when she said: “I didn’t choose this Prime Minister.”
Tom Tugendhat
A former British military officer who chairs the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Tom Tugendhat has been one of Johnson’s most robust critics and has made no secret of his desire to become Prime Minister.
Nadhim Zahawi
Less than two days after he was appointed to chancellor, replacing Sunak, Nadhim Zahawi publicly called on Johnson to resign. Until his promotion, Zahawi, who joined the cabinet less than a year ago, was considered an unlikely choice as the next Prime Minister. But his rise under Johnson has been rapid, making his mark with early success as vaccines minister amid the coronavirus pandemic and then as education secretary.
Jeremy Hunt
A former health and foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt lost the 2019 leadership vote to Johnson. He has since styled himself as an antidote to Johnson and is without question the highest profile contender on the moderate, ex-Remain side of the party.
