UNITED KINGDOM: On Sunday evening, UK foreign minister Liz Truss, 46, announced that she would partake as a shrewd competitor in the race to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister and leader of the ruling party. According to the reports, Truss declared she had “a clear vision of where we need to be, and the experience and resolve to get out there.”
Truss’ bid to secure Tory leadership followed that of former defence minister Penny Mordaunt as the race expanded to 11 candidates. Mordaunt, 49, an ex-navy reservist who has held other senior ministerial roles, is not among the favourites to succeed Johnson, as seen in recent polls of Tory party members set to choose their new leader.
One of the favourites include former finance minister, Rishi Sunak, who launched his campaign agenda on Friday after he actively sought to ignite cabinet revolt that led to Johnson’s premature and forced resignation on Thursday. He is now under fire by Johnson-loyalists and other rival candidates.
Sunak and former health minister, Sajid Javid- who also announced his candidacy- both resigned late Tuesday, prompting other colleagues to do the same.
A mass exodus of integral colleagues of the cabinet ultimately forced Johnson to quit as Tory leader 36 hours later.
However, the race for PM is a crowded rat-race. Other candidates like former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps (secretary of transportation) and recently appointed finance minister Nadhim Zahawi are among the few candidates of the big 11, who are gearing up for the ultimate race.
But such contests are nasty, petty and notoriously unpredictable, and with more than a dozen lawmakers from multiple factions of the ruling party joining the race, political commentators say it is difficult to rule anyone out as winner.
