Diverse list of contenders raises prospect of first non-white British PM

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson sits on the front row (third from left) with members of his cabinet in the House of Commons, in London, on June 8, 2022. Liz Truss (fourth from left), Sajid Javid, (sixth from left), Rishi Sunak (seventh from left), and Nadhim Zahawi (ninth from left) have since declared themselves candidates in the conservative leadership race that will replace Johnson. © Jessica Taylor, AFP

The list of contenders in the running to be the next UK prime minister is notably diverse – the result of years of work to promote ethnic minority talent within the conservative party. But would a black or Asian prime minister be a leap forward for racial equality in the UK? 

When UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation on July 7, it kick-started the Conservative leadership contest in which members of the party will elect its next leader and, by default, the next prime minister of the UK.