Britain: Fierce struggle between conservatives to succeed Boris Johnson

The third vote to choose the new Conservative leader took place tonight, when parliament voted for a vote of confidence against Boris Johnson’s government. Former finance chancellor Rishi Sunak won with 115 votesthe second is Commerce Minister Penny Mordaunt, with 82 votes, but lost one from the previous vote, after being heavily criticized for her stance on Trans.

Former soldier and former intelligence officer in Afghanistan, Tom Tuigendhat, was eliminated. Chancellor Liz Truss got 71 votes and Brexitier Kemi Badenoch got 58 votes and became the new star. She is a former banker of Nigerian origin and now a minister.

There are two new rounds of voting this Tuesday and next Wednesday.

But only four candidates should remain in the race. The big question is where will the 58 years of Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tuigendhat, who opposes Brexit, go. It is a race inside the other.

In the next vote, those still running for the Conservative Party to become the next party leader were Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat.

toxic career

The battle for conservative leadership to get Boris Johnson to replace Downing St it has become such a toxic exercise and cruel among the candidates to succeed him, that the Conservative party has canceled the debate that was supposed to take place tonight. It only shows the deep partisan divisions.

Former Finance Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who leads the race, and Chancellor Liz Truss refused to take part in the event, organized by Sky News.

Conservative MPs are worried the damage that the debates are doing to the image of the partyexposing disagreements and divisions.

Sunak and Truss participated in a debate organized by ITV on Sunday. There were furious exchanges between the six candidates, which Sunak accused of “liars”, when they promised to lower taxes. He was seen calm, with the profile of a prime minister. Lead the polls.

In Sunday’s ITV leadership debate, Sunak accused Truss of selling the economy “something for nothing,” after claiming he was stifling growth by raising taxes to the highest level in 70 years.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Truss attacked Sunak’s record at the Treasury, telling him, “Rishi, you have raised taxes to the highest level in 70 years. This will not increase economic growth.“.

“He raised national insurance, despite being opposed by people like me in the cabinet at the time, because we could have afforded to finance the NHS through general taxation,” Truss said.

“The fact is that raising taxes right now will stifle economic growth. It will prevent us from getting the income we need to pay off the debt, ”Truss insisted.

those who drive

Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt advance in the leadership race.

Sunak vowed to do away with hundreds of EU laws and regulations in a speech to Brexit advocates. Commerce Minister Penny Mordaunt faces scrutiny for views on the rights of trans people.

Mordaunt dismissed claims of his views on trans rights as “slander” as the former Conservative leader questions his experience.

Duncan Smith, a former Tory leader, criticized Rishi Sunak’s economic policy as a former foreign minister promises to demolish EU laws hamper Brexit.

Angela Rayner, Labor deputy leader, said: “This competition for Conservative ‘leadership’ is so shameful that they canceled the debate, so they can’t see them fighting like rats in a bag. The country deserves better than conservative candidates. They are hiding from scrutiny simply because their first two performances proved they would be a danger to the UK economy and future, “she said.

In response to the announcement, a spokesperson for Kemi Badenoch said: “The people taking part in this contest are friends and colleagues. So the party has to come together to do things for the country.”

“Kemi welcomes public scrutiny, builds trust. open to discussion that sheds light on the issues that matter. But not one designed solely to cause controversy, “she said.

A source from Tom Tugendhat’s team said he “was never removed from public scrutiny. He was the only candidate who it has always been presented to the mediawith an hour of questions and answers last week. “

“Given the candidates running for the highest office in the country, they should be subjected to a similar level of scrutiny. If not through debate, then in other formats,” the source added.

A member of Penny Mordaunt’s team said that media control is important. “Penny did a broadcast and gave reporters time to ask questions at her launch. MPs don’t just elect a new leader, butino elect the new prime minister of the nation“the source said.

They withdraw from the discussion

There have been more angry exchanges between Mordaunt and Badenoch, who accused the Commerce Minister in the first debate of promoting a gender self-identification policy for people who wanted to legally change their gender when he was in government responsibility for the matter. .

Speaking to broadcasters on Monday, Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer noted: “I am amazed that those who want to be UK prime ministers withdraw from debates and control “.

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey added: “Conservatives say they want to lead. But they won’t even come to discuss the issues that matter to our country.”

The big conservative leaders are asking themselves if it hadn’t been a mistake to fire Boris Johnson under the current circumstances and allow this public lynching. First by the prime minister and now by those who aspire to succeed him, when in less than two years the party will struggle to win the political elections against Labor.

The vote of confidence

parliamentarians will take a vote of confidence in government tonight, amid renewed appeals from the opposition for Boris Johnson to step down immediately.

If the government is defeated, it would almost certainly trigger general elections. But that would require a significant number of Conservative MPs to vote against, and this is not expected.

Boris was greeted with a short applause when he entered the room for the last time. Parliament is now entering its summer break.

The debate offers Johnson one last chance to defend yourself his primacy in front of parliamentarians, after the tumultuous events that led to his fall, amidst accusations of lying and breaking the rules.

He began by calling his government one of the most “dynamic” of all time and by explaining the seats won during his tenure as Prime Minister, at Labor’s expense.

Johnson also touted his Brexi credentialst, saying his government had regained control, accused Sir Keir Starmer of “opposing the will of the people” on the issue.

He said the spread of COVID was “terribly difficult to deal with”. But she added that the government protected the NHS and launched a vaccine faster than “any comparable country”.

“They hesitated, we vaccinate,” he said.

At the cost of the crisis, he blamed oil prices and the war in Ukraine. He claimed that his government has taken care of the economy and is offering help to families, citing the latest unemployment figures he said. They are at the lowest level in the last 50 years.

“I am proud of what we have done over the past three years to stand up for people,” he said. She added that taxes have been cut for those on low wages.

PB