There are only eight MPs left in the race to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as nominations for the first ballot to find a new Conservative Party leader were closed.
Key points:
- The eight candidates will be reduced to just two on July 21st
- More voting rounds will be held later this week and next week if necessary
- Former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak is considered the favorite
Former Secretary of Health Sajid Javid, whose resignation last week helped bring down Mr Johnson, was a surprise victim, failed to get the cut.
Candidates needed the support of at least 20 MPs to take part in the second round of voting, which will begin on Wednesday.
Successful candidates include former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Commerce Minister Penny Mordaunt and fund deputy Tom Tugendhat.
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Also on the ballot are Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi, former Equality Minister Kemi Badenoch and former Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt.
Javid left the race on Tuesday after failing to get all 20 followers. He said serving in government had been “a real privilege”.
Two more candidates, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and MP Rehman Chisti, also withdrew after failing to get support.
Candidates are struggling to replace Mr Johnson, who resigned as Conservative leader last week amid a party uprising sparked by months of scandals.
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He will continue in office as interim prime minister until his replacement is elected.
The winner of this contest will automatically become prime minister, with no national elections.
Candidates face two stages
The new leader will be elected in a two-stage process, in which the 358 Conservative MPs reduce the race to two candidates by a series of elimination votes.
The final couple will be put to a vote by party members across the country.
The first round of voting was scheduled for Wednesday, with candidates failing to get at least 30 votes eliminated.
More rounds will take place on Thursday and, if necessary, next week.
Johnson announced his resignation after a series of scandals. (Reuters: Henry Nicholls)
The party aims to complete the parliamentary stage of the elections before MPs stop in the summer on July 21st.
The two finalists would spend the rest of the summer campaigning across the country.
The new leader is due to be announced when the House of Commons returns on September 5th.
Many conservatives are wary of leaving Mr. Johnson in office for too long, worried that a lame duck leader will be the last thing Britain needs with the war wreaking havoc in Ukraine, rising food and energy prices drive inflation to levels not they had been seen in decades and job unrest growing. .
Some also fear that Johnson, downed by money scandals, breach of rules and his handling of allegations of sexual misconduct against politicians, could hurt during his last months in office.
The opposition Labor Party called on the House of Commons to hold a vote of censure on Mr. Johnson this week.
However, the government refused to allow it, saying it was not “a valuable use of parliamentary time” because a contest was already underway to replace the prime minister.
Labor accused the government of “running scared”.
In the open leadership competition, the contenders strive to differentiate themselves from the perceived leader, Mr. Sunak, which already has the support of more than three dozen politicians.
Many have rejected the tax increases that Mr. Sunak introduced to strengthen UK finances battered by the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit.
He proposed a 1.25% increase in income tax for millions of workers and an increase in corporation tax next year from 19 to 25%.
Most candidates say they will rule out one or both.
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Brexit Minister Jacob Rees-Mogg and Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, both committed supporters of Brexit and Johnson’s allies, gave their support to Ms Truss as a “stop Sunak” candidate for on the right wing of the match.
“Liz was always opposed to Rishi’s higher taxes.” said Mr. Rees-Mogg.
“She is a Eurosceptic, will deliver to voters and believes in low taxation.”
Sunak has presented himself as the candidate for tax probity.
Launching his campaign for the Conservative leader on Tuesday, Sunak said the country needed “honesty and responsibility, not fairy tales” to get through difficult economic times.
“It’s not credible to promise much more spending and low taxes,” he said.
Sunak also called for an end to the personal attacks that are already taking place in the contest, many of them aimed at him.
He said he would not “demonize” Mr Johnson, whom he called a “remarkable” politician.
“I will not commit to the negativity you have seen and read in the media. If others want to do it, leave them,” he said.
“That’s not who we are. We can be better than that.”
ABC / AP