Successor to UK’s Boris Johnson: Will Rishi Sunak Be the Prime Minister?

Boris Johnson has gone through a journey from the general election in 2019 to his recent quitting. Following his resignation, several Conservative MPs announced their will to lead the party. The former chancellor is on the top of the list, but the race to replace Johnson remains highly uncertain. Regarding the unpredictability of politics, will Rishi Sunak be the prime minister? 

Rishi Sunak Won Most of Tory MPs’ Votes

Boris Johnson formally resigned as leader of the Conservative Party and the UK Prime Minister. He will stay at Downing Street until the party chooses his successor. He had to leave after a mass revolt by senior cabinet members and other ministers over his premiership. Despite the Partygate scandal, letters of no-confidence, and calls to resign, Boris Johnson had not quit earlier. After Johnson’s departure, several party members entered the Conservative Party’s leadership race. Candidates could only enter the race if they had the backing of twenty MPs of their party. At first, eight candidates secured enough support, and the Conservative MPs cast their votes for them. At the first contest, Rishi Sunak, the former Chancellor of Exchequer, won the most help. The former chancellor was one of the ministers who resigned in protest at Boris Johnson’s running of the government. 

Tories Need to Rebuild Trust among the Public 

The Conservative MPs will participate in a series of votes to reduce the number of candidates to two. Then, around 160 thousand party members will vote for the last two candidates of the Conservative leadership. The former chancellor is the top candidate now, but will Rishi Sunak be the prime minister in the end? One of the eight candidates who lost the first round of the race backs Sunak to be the next prime minister. Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, backs Sunak to replace Boris Johnson. The former health secretary has said the Conservative party needs to rebuild trust among the people. He said Sunak is a decent and straight politician with the highest standard of integrity. The former chancellor started his campaign with more backing from ministers. Deputy Prime Minister Domini Raab and transport secretary Grant Shapps support the frontrunner leadership candidate.

Sunak Competes with Strong Rivals 

Rishi Sunak also topped the second round of the leadership contest, and the Conservative MPs ousted one more candidate. So, five leadership candidates will compete in the third round. Rishi Sunak hopes to replace Boris Johnson and has received dozens of MPs’ support. Several Conservative MPs have tweeted their support of Sunak’s leadership, hoping he will beat the Labor party. The Conservative MPs wish to choose a candidate who can win the next general election. In recent by-elections, the party has lost some seats to the Labors and the Liberal Democrats. Sunak seems to be the most powerful leader for that goal. However, trade minister Penny Mordaunt has surged in the second round of the leadership contest. She narrowed the gap with Rishi Sunak and boosted her lead over foreign Secretary Liz Truss. Since it is a close-run competition for the premiership, will Rishi Sunak be the prime minister? 

Mordaunt Talks about Restoring Tories’ Lost Reputation 

Penny Mordaunt is the runaway favourite for the Conservative party’s leadership and the country’s successive premiership. The latest YouGov polling shows that Penny Mordaunt tops the list of candidates. However, a poll by Opinium Research has found that Rishi Sunak is the first choice for leadership. Penny Mordaunt has promised to give the Conservative party its diminishing self-confidence. She briefly served as the first ever British female defence secretary in 2019. In 2021, she was appointed Minister of State for Trade Policy and resigned last week in protest at Johnson’s leadership. She talks about restoring national pride and positive politics in her book, “Greater: Britain after the Storm.” She has briefly served in some ministerial careers and has always been a Brexiteer. With her strong showing, will Rishi Sunak be the prime minister? 

Sunak’s Records May Dissuade Some Voters 

Many have long considered Sunak the favourite successor of Boris Johnson. He has built a reputation on Twitter and social media platforms during his term as the chancellor. However, Sunak has faced scrutiny over his wealthy wife’s tax status and holding an American green card while in office. Sunak has given his green card back, and his rich wife agreed to pay the UK tax on all her worldwide income. But, Sunak was the chancellor while Brits have been under recent financial pressure. He could have done more to address the hit to living standards. He only introduced a package for energy costs, but British households faced more pain. Food prices and house payments were rising, and many struggled to pay for their basic needs. With such a record, will Rishi Sunak be the prime minister? 

New Tory Government Must Repair Economy 

The catastrophic failure of the latest Conservative government has damaged its reputation. Boris Johnson’s premiership has been involved in turmoil and confusion. Last month he survived a vote of confidence, but many Conservative MPs were eager to oust the controversial leader. The country experienced the worst inflation during Johnson’s premiership, and people are suffering the cost of living crisis. The party has faced political challenges, from Labor and Liberal Democratic upsurge to the SNP’s push for independence. Despite Johnson’s landslide victory in 2019, his government has failed to unite and level up the country. British people have been facing the cost of living crisis and the tightest squeeze on their finances. People in poorer areas have suffered higher inflation pressure under the conservative government. The former chancellor is now a candidate for leadership. But because of his record in Johnson’s cabinet, will Rishi Sunak be the prime minister?

Conclusion

Throughout the last seven years, three Conservative leaders have left NO 10. David Cameron, Theresa May, and Boris Johnson are the prime ministers who had to resign from the Conservative party’s leadership. Boris Johnson’s government has been embroiled in controversy, and the Conservative party faced a government collapse. Johnson’s resignation and a new influential leader will save the party from failure at the next general election. So far, the most probable successors of Boris Johnson are Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, and Liz Truss. With the cost of living crisis surging across the country and skyrocketing inflation, candidates focus on tax and economic growth. Mordaunt and Truss’s increases make it likely that a woman might become the next UK prime minister. Rishi Sunak is on the top of the list, but he was Johnson’s chancellor. Therefore, the question is: will Rishi Sunak be the prime minister?