Former finance minister Rishi Sunak has maintained his lead in the race to become the next British prime minister to replace Boris Johnson. He finished first in all four rounds, including this Tuesday (19).
International Trade Secretary Penny Mordaunt finished second in the first four rounds, but Foreign Minister Liz Truss gradually narrowed the vote margin. Former minister Kemi Badenoch was kicked out for getting the fewest votes. The next round, on Wednesday (20), will define the two finalists.
(Under the end of this report understand how the election of the Prime Minister works in the United Kingdom)
Here’s how the fourth round score went:
- Rishi Sunak: 118 votes
- Penny Mordent: 92 votes
- Liz Truss: 86 votes
- Cami Badenoch: 59 votes
Foreign Trade Secretary Penny Mordant and Foreign Affairs Minister Liz Truss during the campaign for Britain’s Prime Minister (Photo: Matt Dunham and Frank Augustine/AP)
Sunak faces competition from Penny Mordant and Liz Truss, who, starting her official campaign, argued that she was the only candidate with the necessary difficult decision-making experience.
Whoever found the job would assume high inflation and low economic growth, as well as a lack of public confidence following Johnson’s crisis in power.
How does the Prime Minister’s election work?
The leader of the Conservative Party, which has a majority in the British Parliament, also holds the position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Several rounds of voting are held between conservative deputies. In each of them, those with fewer votes are removed from the dispute. When only two candidates remain, all party members can participate in the selection and the votes are sent by post.
The dates are set by a group called the 1922 Committee. According to committee chairman Graham Brady, the deadline for choosing a replacement for Boris Johnson was as follows:
- 12 July: The nomination of the candidates was done on this day officially. He must have the support of at least 20 other deputies to participate in the dispute.
- 13 to 21 July: Early elections. Conservative Party MPs vote for their candidates. Those with the fewest votes are eliminated until there are only two contestants left.
- 21 July: The British Parliament goes on holiday.
- July to September: Voting by post is on between the last two candidates. At this stage, all party members can vote (there are about 180,000 people).
- September 5: The winner of the contest is announced, who will become the new leader of the Conservative Party and the new British Prime Minister.
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