A leadership election within the Conservative Party will soon be under way following Boris Johnson's resignation as Prime Minister earlier today (June 7). The historic announcement came after more than 50 of his MPs resigned over two turbulent days at Number 10.
It started with a shock double resignation from Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on Tuesday, July 5, which sparked a domino effect which has now amassed to 59 resignations alone. The pair are now two of the frontrunners to become the new leader of the party.
Javid, who had also previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer under the Prime Minister, stated "the country needs a strong and principled Conservative Party, and the Party is bigger than any one individual". Sunak's successor, Nadhim Zahawi, was rumoured to be part of discussions to encourage the Prime Minister to resign in the later hours of Wednesday evening (July 6) along with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh Secretary Simon Hart and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis.
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All three have been loyalists to the former Mayor of London as well as Home Secretary Priti Patel, who later sided with Zahawi and co for him to resign. One vocal supporter from the Government remained in Nadine Dorries, the Culture Secretary, as pressure continued. She tweeted her support for Johnson yesterday evening, stating: "The PM’s priority is to stabilise the Government, set a clear direction for the country and continue to deliver on the promises he made and the British public voted for."
But now, it is understood the Prime Minister, who took on the role in 2019, will resign less than three years in the role. Here are the candidates from bookies Betfred:
Ben Wallace - 9/4
The favourite this morning having moved from 6/1 and the current Defence Secretary. Ben Wallace stands as an MP for Wyre and Preston North two years after leaving the Scottish Parliament. He has previously served as Minister of State for Northern Ireland and Minister of State for Security and Economic Crime.
Rishi Sunak - 4/1
The former Chancellor of the Exchequer was initially the favourite at 5/1 before Ben Wallace's price dropped sharply. He succeeded Sajid Javid, who resigned over disagreements regarding government and Dominic Cummings' role, but was the face of the furlough scheme and Eat Out to Help Out.
He received a fixed penalty notice for breaching Covid-19 regulations during lockdowns and controversy surrounding the non-domiciled status of his, Akshata Murty, caused the Richmond (Yorkshire) MP to lose popularity from the public.
Penny Mordaunt - 6/1
The MP for Portsmouth North, Penny Mourdant has been tipped as one of the favourites to be the next Conservative leader despite holding a junior role in government. The former University of Reading student was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy in September last year.
However, her experience in public relations before pursuing a career in politics could serve her well including working under the likes of John Major, William Hague and former President George W Bush.
Liz Truss - 7/1
The Foreign Secretary has been tipped at 7/1 to be the next Tory leader. The South West Norfolk MP has a very experienced CV in government with a number of senior roles including Justice Secretary, Environment Secretary and International Trade Secretary, too.
She is due to make a statement after having to cut short her trip to Indonesia.
Sajid Javid - 10/1
A senior figure in the Conservative Party and twice served under Boris Johnson's government, Sajid Javid looks like a likely candidate for the leadership race too. Similar to Truss, the Bromsgrove MP has a number of senior government roles on his CV, too, working under the likes of David Cameron and Theresa May since becoming an elected official in 2010.
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