Contenders hoping to succeed the recently resigned British prime minister Liz Truss were to start their campaign on Friday but opposition parties demanded that the people in the UK get the chance to have their own say to finally put an end to months of political chaos.
Following Truss’ resignation on Thursday, party managers announced a shortened election process with results to be announced on October 28.
After only 44 days in office, packed with economic crisis largely of her own making, the Conservative leader announced on Thursday she was stepping down.
Truss admitted she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected by Tory members, after her right-wing platform of tax cuts disintegrated and as many Conservative MPs revolted.
Truss had succeeded Boris Johnson on September 6 after a weeks-long campaign against Tory rival Rishi Sunak, vowing a radical overhaul as Britons struggle with a cost-of-living crisis.
The likely contenders include her Tory rival and former finance minister Rishi Sunak, who has gained favour after correctly warning of the debilitating consequences of Truss’ debt-fueled tax promises.
However, the scandal-ridden Johnson might also be looking forward to make a comeback, despite resigning with dismal poll ratings.
Suella Braverman, a representative of Tory’s right whose resignation as interior minister on Wednesday acted as a catalyst for Truss’ downfall, is also a likely choice.
Furthermore. senior cabinet members Ben Wallace and Penny Mordaunt were also considering their own chances of succeeding in the leadership race.
On the other hand, some have already ruled themselves out from the competition, including new finance minister Jeremy Hunt.
Former minister Tim Loughton also suggested the solution that the four “big beasts” — Sunak, Morduant, Hunt and Wallace — agree on a single candidate to “get back to some degree of normality”.
He told BBC Radio that Brexiteer right-wingers and other factions “need to park all those egos” and work together during this period of economic difficulty in the country.
“We need to have a united and talented cabinet of grown-ups who come together and get us back on course”, he further added.
With time till 1pm (GMT) on Monday to produce at least a 100 nominations from their fellow Tory MPs, the race demands the contenders to make their case in a short time.
A maximum of three candidates will emerge from among the 357 Conservatives in the House of Commons. The MPs will vote to leave only two candidates and finally hold an “indicative” vote to select their preferred option.
Unless a single candidate is chosen from the MPs’ deliberations in an effective coronation, the members will have their say in an online ballot over the next week.
“Not just a soap opera”, Labour leader says
However, for the opposition parties including the Labour Party, the governing party is showing contempt towards the electorate.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said that Britain “cannot have another experiment at the top of the Tory party” while demanding an immediate general election more than two years ahead of schedule.
“This is not just a soap opera at the top of the Tory party — it’s doing huge damage to the reputation of our country” and to people’s livelihoods, he said.
The ultimate winner of the Tory race will be Labour, according to many pundits, pointing to the opposition party’s runaway lead in the polls.
“You’d have to hope, if you’re the Tory party, that you really have reached a nadir and the only way is up from here,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary, University of London.
Friday’s editions of the right-wing Daily Telegraph, Sun and Daily Express newspapers all talked up Johnson’s chances.
But Bale told AFP that the former premier’s return “would just be the final joke that the Conservative party tried to play on the country, and the country wouldn’t be laughing”.
“We need to climb out of the hole the Tories have dug us into. That probably does mean a change of government,” he added, as the left-leaning Daily Mirror demanded: “General election now. “
