On Sunday, October 23, British Conservative Rishi Sunak publicly declared his candidacy to succeed departing Prime Minister Liz Truss. As the UK grapples with several challenges, he has made two attempts to become prime minister in recent months. Six weeks after Liz Truss defeated him for the position of Conservative leader and prime minister, Sunak announced his second attempt for the position on Twitter and stated: ‘The United Kingdom is a magnificent country but we confront a serious economic problem’. In announcing his candidacy, the former finance minister said, ‘I want to heal our economy, unify our party, and deliver for our country’.
Following Truss’ unexpected departure on Thursday, barely 44 days into her premiership, the former chancellor has announced his candidacy for the second time in as many months. With the support of enough Conservative MPs, Sunak is dominating the race, and if he manages to win, it would be a major reversal for the Richmond, North Yorks, MP.
After warning that Liz’s pledges of massive tax cuts would wreck the economy and drive up mortgage rates, he was pitted against Truss and criticised by Conservative MPs for being overly pessimistic. The fact that his wife is a millionaire and reputedly wealthier than the King has also caused voters to scream against his excessive riches. Grant Shapps, the UK home secretary, has given Sunak his support in the race. Shapps stated on his official Twitter account, ‘In these difficult circumstances, we want a someone who can offer stability and shown economic skill, and @RishiSunak fits that bill. I’m supporting him because of this in the Conservative leadership race’, Shapps added.
Sunak is the second Conservative MP to declare a campaign for the top job, after cabinet member Penny Mordaunt’s announcement on Friday. The contest, which might go on for a week, is also anticipated to include Boris Johnson. Johnson shortened his Caribbean holiday on Saturday in order to return to Britain and run for office again less than two months after losing his position as prime minister. Boris is apparently working really hard to compile the 100 nominations necessary to bring them to a vote among Conservative MPs before the deadline on Monday.
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