Sunak has enough support for the first race, Johnson’s camp is also knocking on the door

Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has won the support of at least 100 Conservative MPs to run for party leadership and prime minister. This came according to the statistics of the British media.

Moreover, it is becoming increasingly clear that the newly resigned Prime Minister Johnson is also a serious candidate. Sources from Johnson’s camp told British media he had also received at least 100 statements of support. Based on public statements by politicians, the BBC will not go beyond 50 at the moment.

Neither Sunak nor Johnson has officially announced themselves as candidates. There is a lot of speculation about when they will do this.

In the previous leadership election, in August, Sunak came second behind Liz Truss. He had the support of parliamentarians, but party members chose Truss.

Johnson is back early from his vacation in the Dominican Republic this morning and that only means one thing, according to British media. Commerce Secretary James Doddridge, who is close to Johnson, says Johnson told him he was “ready”. Johnson has only been a member of Parliament since late September, after he resigned as prime minister in July.

Benny Mordaunt, the party’s leader in the House of Commons, was the first to take part in the fighting. She tweeted yesterday that she “guarantees a new beginning and will bring the party together.” Mordaunt has 22 Conservatives behind him so far.

She posted her campaign video on Twitter this morning. It begins in Portsmouth, where she has lived for years:

So far, more than half of the Conservative MPs have expressed a preference. Candidates have until Monday afternoon to support 100 party members.

Since there are 357 Conservatives in the House of Commons and each candidate must ensure a vote of 100 party members, there can be a maximum of three candidates.

If there are three candidates, the first round of voting will follow on the Monday afternoon after the closing date and a second round in the evening. If there are two candidates, only one vote is required.

Thereafter, members of the Conservative House of Commons will declare their preference for a candidate. This is a voting tip for the 170,000 party members, who choose the winner with their votes. The goal is to appoint a new prime minister before the end of the week.

New elections do not appear to be on the agenda, despite calls from the opposition Labor Party. These plans are for 2025 and must also be de-registered by the ruling party. The Conservative Party is not waiting for it. Opinion polls show that the Labor Party is currently ahead. Not surprising given the internal bickering and scandals in the Conservative Party, from Johnson’s coronavirus parties to Truss’ tax withdrawal plans.

The new prime minister has a difficult task ahead. On October 31, the medium-term tax plan was put on the agenda. The British economy is not doing well, inflation is high and fuel prices are rising.