Crisis in the British government: 3 new candidates to succeed Boris Johnson, bringing the number of candidates to 8
Sylvie Claire / July 10, 2022
Three new top contenders to succeed the British Prime Minister entered the race on Saturday night, including former Health Minister Savid Javid, bringing the number of candidates to eight.
Two days after the announcement of the resignation of Boris Johnson, 58, weakened by scandals and brought down by the resignation of Mr. Sunak which led to others, his potential successors continue to unveil their intentions.
The competition for the leadership of the Conservative Party and thus Downing Street, with the Tories holding a majority in the House of Commons, could last several months.
In addition to Javid, candidates include new finance minister Nadhim Zahawi and former foreign and health minister Jeremy Hunt, who faced Boris Johnson in 2019 for the leadership of the Conservative party.
The Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, announced his candidacy by promising a strategic and sober government. An experienced MP who started out in former Prime Minister David Cameron's cabinet in 2010, he is not a favourite in the polls.
Neither did three other declared candidates, former Secretary of State for Equality Kemi Badenoch, Attorney General Suella Braverman and Congressman Tom Tugendhat.
On the other hand, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, 42, was the first major contender to launch his candidacy on Friday, in a particularly polished video, to the point of fuelling suspicions of a long-prepared candidacy and of betrayal.