The leading candidates to replace Liz Truss as Britain’s prime minister include key figures from her cabinet as well as former rivals for leadership of the Conservative Party. Some analysts have even speculated that Boris Johnson, who resigned as prime minister in the summer, could make a return.
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| Liz Truss resigns as UK Prime Minister after six weeks in office. Photo: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images via POLITICO |
Potential Contenders:
- Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons: Ms. Mordaunt, 49, became leader of the lower house of Britain’s Parliament after briefly emerging as a contender in this summer’s Conservative Party leadership contest, won by Ms. Truss. At the time, Ms. Mordaunt’s swift rise alarmed some critics, who said that she was untested and thinly qualified for prime minister.
- Rishi Sunak, former chancellor beaten by Ms. Truss: Mr. Sunak, 42, served as chancellor of the Exchequer under Prime Minister Boris Johnson and was seen for a time as his most likely successor. But he finished second in the party leadership contest to Ms. Truss, hampered by his association with Covid-era spending, tax increases and Britain’s cost-of-living crisis, as well as his part in pushing out Mr. Johnson, an ouster that many party members came to say they regret.
- Ben Wallace, defense secretary: Mr. Wallace, 52, a former soldier, was said to be a top choice among Conservative Party members to succeed Mr. Johnson. But he decided not to seek the premiership, acknowledging to The Telegraph in September: “I didn’t want it enough.” He said he was supporting Ms. Truss in the party contest, in part because she had promised to increase military spending.
- Suella Braverman, former home secretary: Ms. Braverman, 42, is seen as a dark horse candidate. She is a hard-liner who was hostile to moves to allow more immigrants into Britain, and previously served as attorney general. She was fired by Ms. Truss as home secretary on Wednesday after acknowledging that she was guilty of a technical breach of email security rules. But in her letter of resignation, she said she had “concerns about the direction of this government,” accusing it of breaking pledges to voters and, in particular, of failing to curb immigration.The New York Times
