At the heart of her leadership bid is a pledge to cut taxes “from day one,” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis. The foreign secretary made her leadership ambitions known in The Telegraph on Sunday. His family immigrated from Pakistan to the UK in the 1960s, and his father worked as a bus driver. He served as chancellor from 2019 to 2020. The MP has twice run for party leadership in the past – in 2016, after the Brexit referendum, and in 2019, when Johnson was ultimately elected. Those who support Javid’s candidacy hope that he will be credited for triggering Johnson’s ultimate ouster, having been the first cabinet minister to resign – though Sunak followed him minutes later. The statement echoed Javid’s resignation speech in the House of Commons in which he said that something was “fundamentally wrong” with government. Posting on Twitter on Sunday, Javid said: “The next Prime Minister needs integrity, experience, and a tax-cutting plan for economic growth. “Whether it’s the cost of living or it’s low levels of growth, for me, that’s our most immediate challenge… You need someone with an economic plan from day one,” he said, adding that his economic plan would have two prongs: short-term measures to help people meet cost-of-living challenges and a longer-term plan for tax reform. The former health secretary, whose resignation set off a wave of departures from Johnson’s government, officially announced his candidacy on Sunday. Among the economic woes facing Britons after Sunak’s time as the UK’s chief financial minister: real wages dropping to their lowest levels in more than 21 years and inflation hitting a 40-year high of 9.1% in May.īut he is still among the bookmakers’ odds-on favorites to take Johnson’s job.įormer Health Secretary Sajid Javid. Sunak has struggled to keep down spiraling inflation and has been criticized by opposition parties for what they call a slow and inadequate series of financial measures. His popularity has also taken a beating in recent weeks as Britain has suffered the worst cost-of-living crisis in decades. His financial and legal affairs came under scrutiny this spring following reports his wife had non-domicile status in the UK – meaning she was not liable to pay tax on overseas income – and that he held a US green card while serving as minister. His stock sank earlier this year after revelations that he broke Covid regulations to attend the prime minister’s birthday party on June 19, 2020, for which he later apologized “unreservedly.” But he has suffered several of his own scandals while in government. Sunak was Johnson’s presumed successor for several months after he won praise for overseeing Britain’s initial financial response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “I want to lead this country in the right direction.” “It was Britain, our country, that gave them and millions like them the chance of a better future,” he said. The former chancellor formally announced he was standing to succeed Johnson in a campaign video on Friday, which began with the story of his Indian parents, who both emigrated to the UK from East Africa. Here’s a look at the possible contenders.īritain's former Chancellor Rishi Sunak. The winner will be the new party leader – and prime minister. A slew of contenders have thrown their hat into the ring – from household names to lesser-known Conservative members of parliament.Īmong those to announce their candidacy are an Iraqi Kurdish refugee, the children of Indian and Pakistani immigrants and several women – reflecting efforts by the Conservative Party to field more ethnically diverse candidates for Parliament in recent years.Īny candidates who run for the leadership will go through rounds of voting by Conservative lawmakers until only two remain – at which point Conservative Party members nationwide will vote. Now, with the government in tatters, bookmakers and much of Britain are speculating about his likely successor. Johnson announced on Thursday he would step down, after nearly 60 lawmakers and government officials resigned over his handling of a series of scandals, including illegal gatherings held at his Downing Street office in defiance of coronavirus lockdown rules and his failure to act on sexual misconduct allegations against his deputy chief whip. The list will then be whittled down to two, and the party’s grassroot members will be given the final say. He also said that the candidate list would close on Monday, before a first round of voting on Wednesday. Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative party backbenchers announced on Monday that a new leader would be announced on September 5, the same day that the British parliament returns from its summer recess. The race to replace British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is ramping up, with 11 candidates declaring their intention to run, many on platforms of lowering taxes and promises to clean up government following Johnson’s crisis-plagued leadership.
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