Rishi Sunak Set To Become United Kingdom’s New Prime Minister
Former finance minister, Rishi Sunak is set to become United Kingdom’s new prime minister after winning the race for the Conservative party leader.
According to an announcement made by Sir Graham Brady, only one nomination was received by the 1922 Committee for the new leader of the party, and backed by 100 MPs.
Sir Brady, therefore, declared Sunak to be the next party leader, and consequently the new Prime Minister.
He made it known that the new Tory leader Rishi Sunak will address MPs at 14:30 BST.
Sunak’s only challenger, Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons and former defence minister, was reportedly backed by 30 MPs compared with nearly 150 supporting Sunak.
“This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party,” Mordaunt disclosed in a statement as she withdrew from the race just minutes before the winner was due to be announced. “Rishi has my full support.”
“These are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today,” she said. “They have taken this decision in good faith for the good of the country.”
Sunak and Mordaunt had lost to Truss in an earlier race to appoint a new leader after then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson was forced to announce his resignation in July following a wave of scandals linked to parties entertained during the coronavirus lockdown.
