UK Sunak, Johnson got 100 MPs for PM race
Newslooks- (AP)
The second leadership contest in three months got under way on Thursday after the extraordinary resignation of Liz Truss. Rishi Sunak has become the first to receive 100 public endorsements from Tory MPs – enough to meet the threshold for nominations in the leadership race. The news came before a source close to Boris Johnson claimed he had also reached the threshold to reach the ballot, although this has yet to be verified.
The winner of the contest will replace Liz Truss as Britain’s prime minister and become the country’s third leader this year.
Party rules for the leadership contest mean all hopefuls need the backing of at least 100 Tory MPs by Monday afternoon to stay in the race.
This means the maximum number of people able to stand is three. If three candidates get 100 backers, there will be a vote by MPs, with the winning two put forward to the party membership.
Johnson may be dominating talk about Tory leadership race but win is a long way off
A flash of blonde, in a blurry photo taken at the back of a plane, and suddenly the prospect of a new Johnson era has become very real. But it’s easy to get carried away.
For a man who was, until recently, thousands of miles away on a Caribbean island (and has yet to put his hat in the ring) it is extraordinary that Boris Johnson’s name has dominated this leadership race. Such is the strength of feeling around the former PM: love him or loathe him, we can’t stop talking about him. A flash of blonde, in a blurry photo taken at the back of a plane, and suddenly the prospect of a new Johnson era became very real.
‘Difficult to see’ how Johnson could be PM – politics latest
But it is easy to get carried away. The threshold of 100 MPs is high, and there is no clear path for the former prime minister.
Mr Johnson “never really had more than about 60/65 core loyal supporters”, according to his former director of communications, Will Walden.
He says the challenge for the former prime minister will be “generating enough momentum” to see ambitious MPs row in behind him.
Mr Johnson’s allies certainly believe he can do it; if he passes the first hurdle, he is the likely favourite among the membership.
However, Team Sunak is still hoping for a coronation on Monday. The former chancellor is way ahead and has already made the ballot, according to Sky analysis report.
Gentleman’s agreement?
Backing today from Lord Frost, who previously supported Liz Truss and was a close ally of Mr Johnson’s, is a big boost. Lord Frost, the former Brexit negotiator, has sway on the right of the party and could swing key votes Mr Johnson needs if he is to get on the ballot.
And what of talk of a gentleman’s agreement between Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak? From the conversations, it seems unlikely, there has been no conversation between the two men, nor are there any plans for one.
One Sunak backer said any deal would be “nonsense” and allies of both have said neither would settle for anything but the top job.
Sunak tops 100 public nominations
Who is Penny Mordaunt? Ex-magician’s assistant hoping to conjure a win
There is only one candidate officially in the race: Penny Mordaunt. In summer she secured 105 votes in the last round and a similar victory this time would see her on the ballot.
Her backers say things can change quickly, but at the moment she is a long way off, leaving many pondering the prospect of Boris v Rishi. It is an extraordinary thought: the former prime minister against the former chancellor who set in motion his downfall.
One MP told me he feels “sick” by the thought the former prime minister could come back, and another texted: “Anyone but Rishi.”
What’s clear is that there is no obvious unity candidate, and no way of knowing for sure what the next few days will hold.
