British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said today he would not support any of the 11 candidates who want to take his place at the head of the Conservative Party in a race fought around financial pressure, whose agenda will be announced later in the day.
“I don’t want to jeopardize anyone’s chances by offering my support,” Johnson said in his first public appearance since stepping down on Thursday after a string of scandals.
After spending the weekend at Checkers, the prime minister’s residence, Johnson reassured him that he was “determined to continue with the mandate given to us” and that the next head of government would have “a very good program”.
But my job is first and foremost to oversee the proceedings in the coming weeks,” he said.
Johnson will remain head of government until his successor is chosen.
Home Secretary Priti Patel could have announced her candidacy throughout the day to take her place as leader of the Conservative Party, which has a majority in the House of Commons, and thus Downing Street.
On Sunday night, Foreign Minister Liz Truss, 46, joined the list of candidates, which also included former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, 42, and former Health Minister Sajid Javid, 52.
On Tuesday, the two announced their resignations almost simultaneously, triggering a wave of layoffs that dealt Johnson the fatal blow.
Among the 11 candidates to replace the current prime minister are Penny Mordaunt, 49, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Nadhim Zahawi, 55, the new finance minister.
Zahawi’s candidacy has already been undermined by a press release that there is a tax investigation against him. The minister said it was a campaign to “smear” his name and promised to publish his annual income tax return if elected prime minister.
taxes
In a country plagued by 9.1% inflation, most candidates rushed to advocate a series of tax cuts, but did not explain how they would be financed.
Truss promised to take action “from day one”. Rishi Sunak warns against “fairy tales that are comforting but will only make things worse for our children tomorrow.”
The main opposition formation, the Labor Party, estimates the candidates’ total advertisements to be around £200 billion (€236 billion).
The 1922 committee responsible for the internal organization of the Conservatives should set the timetable and form of the conflict this evening.
Candidates will need to prove they have the support of 36 candidates to qualify for the runoff, the committee’s secretary general, Bob Blackman, told Sky News.
According to a census by Politico, Sunak is the only candidate with this support. According to initial bets, he is one of the favorites along with Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss.
The nomination period ends on Tuesday night (12). Voting could begin shortly after that, with only two finalists remaining when parliamentary recess starts on 22 July.
Sky News announced a debate between the candidates on July 18, and the finalists will have a few weeks to campaign.
The aim is to hold the final vote to elect the Conservative Party’s new chairman by September.
Last week, Johnson made it clear that his government, hastily reconstituted after dozens of resignations in 48 hours, will not seek to implement new policies or make major changes.
Major budget decisions will be left to the next prime minister.
source: Noticias
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