This Tuesday (12) the British Conservative Party approved the candidacy of eight MPs to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who left Downing Street after gaining the necessary support to enter the race.
Not surprisingly, former finance minister Rishi Sunak, former defense minister Penny Mordaunt, chief of diplomacy Liz Truss, and lawmaker Tom Tugendhat announced the 1922 Commission, the conservative parliamentary group tasked with setting election rules.
Also on the list are new Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi, government representative and legal adviser Suella Braverman, former Equality Minister Kemi Badenoch and former Health Minister Jeremy Hunt.
All candidates had the support of their 20 comrades, the minimum threshold, to contest the Conservative Party’s leadership and thus Downing Street’s leadership as the party had a majority in the House of Commons.
Johnson resigned last week, his administration marred by a string of scandals and a wave of layoffs in his government. However, he will remain in office until his successor is elected on September 5.
Eight candidates seeking to qualify for the first round must receive the support of 30 lawmakers on Wednesday.
Two rounds of voting are scheduled: fourth and fifth (and second if necessary), leaving two candidates in the final race for the position. The final poll will be open to party members only.
Just hours before the announcement, there were eleven candidates to replace Johnson, but three of them left. Among them was former Health Minister Sajid Javid.
Bookies place Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt as the top two favourites, followed by Liz Truss.
tax deduction
At the start of his campaign on Tuesday, Sunak refrained from criticizing and “demonizing” his former boss, Johnson, whom he said he saw as “one of the most extraordinary people” he knew.
The 42-year-old conservative politician resigned last week to protest the Johnson administration.
His departure, in coordination with another minister, caused a wave of impeachment that resulted in the prime minister’s resignation. The altar became the target of fierce attacks from his supporters, who accused him of causing Johnson’s downfall.
For now, the campaign has been limited to a few meaningful videos, polemics and vague promises. Most applicants guarantee they will receive tax breaks without giving details of how they intend to finance their measures.
Zahawi, 55, believes there was a campaign to “defile it” after the press revealed that there was a tax investigation against him. The minister promised to publish his income tax return each year if elected prime minister.
Sunak, on the other hand, was more cautious than its rivals regarding tax cuts in the context of high inflation. “It’s not a ‘if’ question, it’s a ‘when’ question,” he says.
During his tenure at the Ministry of Economy, Sunak was criticized for not doing enough to prevent the cost of living from rising.
act of condemnation
The name of the future prime minister will be announced on September 5 after a vote by Conservative Party members.
But it was too late for the opposition Labor Party. On Tuesday, he submitted a no-confidence motion in Parliament, which is expected to be voted on tomorrow, according to party sources.
But the government refused to allow time to discuss the initiative in Parliament, which was a “serious abuse of power” for the Labor Party.
“The prime minister has already resigned and a process is underway. [para substituí-lo]”We don’t think this is a useful use of parliamentary time,” Downing Street said.
There is little hope that this bill will win the support of the “Tories” because if passed it could lead to general elections. And conservatives among them risk losing the majority they achieved in 2019 with Johnson’s popularity.
source: Noticias
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