LONDON, (Reuters) – British former finance minister Rishi Sunak said yesterday he was running to replace Boris Johnson, three days after helping to launch the cascade of resignations that brought the prime minister down.
Johnson announced on Thursday that he would stand down as prime minister after a mass rebellion in his Conservative Party, triggered by the latest in a series of scandals that had fatally undermined public trust.
Johnson’s imminent departure has added political uncertainty to an already difficult mix of soaring inflation, slowing growth and industrial unrest, set against a backdrop of war in Ukraine Britain’s ongoing struggle to adapt to life after Brexit.
“Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions. That’s why I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister,” Sunak said in a campaign video released on Twitter.
Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid quit the cabinet on Tuesday within minutes of each other, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Johnson’s decision to step down.
An opinion poll of Conservative Party members – who normally get to choose between the final two candidates – put Sunak in front on 25%, ahead of foreign secretary Liz Truss on 21%. The Opinium poll for Channel 4 News consulted 493 party members.
