Issued on: 20/07/2022 – 17:56
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will battle it out to become Britain’s next prime minister after winning the legislature’s final vote, setting up the final stage of the contest to overthrow Boris Johnson. to replace.
Sunak led in all ballots under conservative lawmakers, but it is Truss who so far seems to have gained the advantage among the 200,000 members of the ruling party who will ultimately pick the winner.
The final stretch of a weeklong contest will pit Sunak, a former Goldman Sachs banker who has taken tax burdens to the highest levels since the 1950s, against Truss, a Brexit convert who has pledged to cut taxes and regulations.
Whoever triumphs when the result is announced on September 5 will inherit some of Britain’s toughest conditions in decades. Inflation is on track to reach 11% annually, growth is faltering, union action is ramping up and the pound is near historic lows against the dollar.
Britain under Johnson, and aided by Truss, also took a hard line against Brussels in its post-Brexit negotiations over Northern Ireland, taking legal action by the European Union and threatening future trade relations.
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Eleven candidates originally gave their names, but in a fifth and final vote by conservative lawmakers on Wednesday, junior Commerce Secretary Penny Mordaunt was eliminated. Sunak won 137 votes, against Truss’ 113 and Mordaunt’s 105.
Polls show Truss would beat Sunak in the party members contest, increasing the chances of the party choosing a leader who was not the most popular choice for lawmakers at Westminster.
Truss thanked her supporters. “I’m ready to hit the ground running from day one,” she said on Twitter.
Sunak said on Twitter: “Grateful that my colleagues have placed their trust in me today. I will work day and night to get our message across the country.”
Mordaunt, who was just eight votes behind second-placed Truss, called on the party to unite after an often-ugly leadership contest so far.
“Politics is not easy. It can be divisive and difficult,” she said in a statement. “We all need to work together now to unite our party and focus on the work that needs to be done.”
Hustings
The two finalists will now move up and down the country for weeks before joining the party.
“This was one of the most unpredictable contests to become the next conservative leader in recent history,” said Chris Hopkins, director of political research at the polling agency Savanta ComRes. “This has been very different from recent games where you have run a clear favorite.”
The vitriol among the candidates also raises the question of how well a new leader will be able to rule, with Johnson still popular with many in the party and the country, and the party increasingly split between the various factions.
Johnson was forced to resign this month after losing the support of his lawmakers following months of scandal, including violations of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown rules.
Sunak, who has helped the economy through the pandemic, may not find a forgiving crowd among party members, with many blaming him for causing Johnson’s downfall with his resignation earlier this month.
He was also criticized for everything from his record in government to his wife’s wealth.
Truss can also struggle with Sunak, who is more relaxed in public. On Sunday, she admitted that she may not be “the smartest presenter”, but “if I say I’ll do something, I’ll do it”. Read the full story
The race so far has focused on pledges, or non-commitments, to cut taxes, at a time when many parts of the state are struggling to function, along with defense spending, energy policy, Brexit and social issues such as transgender rights.
Because both candidates hold senior positions in Johnson’s administration, they may also be limited in their ability to present themselves as a fresh start.
Pollster Hopkins said a new party leader “normally gets a little bump in the polls, but it will be an uphill battle to regain support because this government is badly damaged”.
(REUTERS)