Rishi Sunak will succeed Liz Truss as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the Conservative Party leadership race.
The former finance minister (in the government of Boris Johnson) will be the new prime minister of the United Kingdom, and the first non-white in British history, thanks to the overwhelming support of the parliamentary group of the Conservative Party, which gave up the only opponent.
To be eligible for the race for minister, candidate deputies need the support of at least 100 colleagues (out of 357 Conservative Party deputies) by the deadline of this Monday at 14:00 local time (same time in Lisbon).
With Penny Mordaunt withdrawing, who failed to garner the necessary support, and by virtue of being the only candidate for leadership of the Tories, Sunak, 42, replaces Liz Truss as head of the UK government.
On Twitter, Mordaunt thanked everyone who supported her and said she was “proud” of the campaign she led.
— Penny Mordaunt (@PennyMordaunt) October 24, 2022
“We have chosen our prime minister. This is a historic decision and once again shows the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi has my full support”, he declared.
“For the country, for each of us and for Rishi, we must unite and work together for the good of the nation. There is much work to be done,” concludes Penny Mordaunt.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss resigned on Thursday amid growing discontent with the government, but will remain in office until a successor is chosen.
Who is Rishi Sunak
At 42, Rishi Sunak is the youngest British prime minister in over 200 years and the country’s first South Asian leader.
Born in Southampton, in the south of England, Sunak is the son of Indian parents who were born in East Africa and raised him in a middle-class family, which made a significant financial effort to give him an education in prestigious schools.
Source: With Agencies
