LONDON – The former finance minister, Rishi Sunak.
Penny Mordaunt, now a senior minister, is also seen as a serious potential candidate in an election that will be held within the ruling Conservative Party, which controls the government and can choose a prime minister without There is no need to hold a general election.
The next leader of government faces a formidable task as Britain slips into a recession with rising inflation, rising borrowing costs and a winter likely dominated by labor strikes and worries about energy supplies.
In the face of what could be a head-to-head fight against Mr Johnson, Mr Sunak’s supporters are presenting him as a safe hand, the man who can restore stability after the government-led crisis. caused by Ms. Truss when she announced a non-refundable tax cut. last month, sending financial markets into a tailspin. The pound fell sharply and borrowing costs skyrocketed.
Less than seven weeks after taking office, Ms. Truss resigned on Thursday – the shortest serving as prime minister in British history.
In the summer of this year, after Mr Johnson was forced to resign, Mr Sunak ran to succeed Ms. Truss but lost. During that leadership contest, he issued a prophetic warning about the risks of her economic agenda, including tax cuts that rattle markets.
So the appointment of Mr. Sunak, an experienced ex-Exchequer prime minister, could reassure financial markets enough to give the new government time to come up with a new budget plan.
“Rishi is an experienced leader to align the economy, lead effectively, bring us back to political disputes and unite the Party and country,” Bim Afolami, a Conservative lawmaker, wrote. on Twitter.
But the prospect of an unusual return by Mr Johnson, who left Downing Street less than two months ago under a big cloud, has put the race on hold.
Reinstalling him would be a risk for the Conservative Party as he has resigned following a series of ethics scandals and is still being investigated by a parliamentary committee over claims he misled politicians. legislation on lockdown parties at his office and residence in Downing Street.
Mr Johnson had a holiday in the Caribbean. But his father, Stanley Johnson, did little to dispel the impression that his son was preparing a comeback attempt. He told the British television network ITV on Friday: “I think he’s on the plane, as I understand it.”
Until he left office, Mr Johnson, always a polarizing figure, was unpopular with voters, according to opinion polls. He has tarnished the party’s reputation and dozens of members of his government have resigned.
But since then, Conservative support has collapsed. A new opinion poll shows the party has dropped to a new low with support of just 14%.
Mr Johnson’s supporters argue that since he won a landslide election in 2019, he has a mandate from voters and his brand of optimism can help rally the Conservative Party.
If he runs for office, he will be seen as the clear favorite as he remains the celebrity among the party members who can make the final decision.
It was they who, over the summer, turned down Mr. Sunak in favor of Ms. Truss as the two approached the final stages of their final leadership contest. One of the main reasons for his failure was the perception by party members that Mr Sunak had betrayed Mr Johnson by resigning from his cabinet, triggering a crisis that has destroyed his leadership.
Even before the official statements of any candidate, their allies are persuasive lawmakers who in some cases have given public support.
Among those urging Mr Johnson to run was Jacob Rees-Mogg, the business secretary, who wrote on Twitter that he was supporting the former prime minister under the hashtag #BORISorBUST. Nadine Dorries, another strong supporter in Congress, described him as a “known winner”.
More centrist lawmakers may also be tempted to back Mr Johnson given his history of electoral success before his recent ethics scandals. But his critics say he will fight to unite his colleagues, and a Conservative Party lawmaker, Roger Gale, has said he will resign from the party if Mr Johnson returns.
Ms Mordaunt, who finished third in the summer leadership contest, has good communication skills and has raised her profile in recent weeks, including this week when she appeared in Parliament to defend the government. government.
She is relatively untested at the highest levels of government. But her supporters say she has more experience than former prime ministers like Tony Blair and David Cameron, who never held a ministerial post before taking power, have been in opposition.
And Mrs Mordaunt may be the best of the possible candidates to manage a fracturing Conservative Party.
“Penny is the best candidate to unite our party and lead our great nation,” Bob Seely, one of her supporters said and a member of Congress.
None of the likely top candidates have yet to be declared, but by Monday afternoon, candidates must have nominations from at least 100 of the Conservative Party’s 357 lawmakers, a figure aimed at speed up the competition by limiting it to a maximum of three potential candidates.
If only one politician crosses that threshold, that person will become prime minister on Monday. If there are two or three, Conservative lawmakers will vote on Monday and the top two will then make the final decision on October 28 in a vote of about 170,000 Conservative Party members. defense – unless one voluntarily withdraws.
Other possible candidates include the interior secretary, Suella Braverman, who was fired by Ms. Truss on Wednesday, and Kemi Badenoch, the international trade secretary. However, based on the evidence of their performance in the summer leadership contest, neither of them is considered likely to hit the 100-nomination threshold.
On Friday, the Defense Secretary, Ben Wallace, excluded himself from running and said he was leaning in favor of Mr Johnson.
