Rishi Sunak faces tough road to 10 Downing Street
As many as 8 other candidates are in the fray for the PM’s post. Among them, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, a Johnson loyalist, has emerged as the front-runner.
Published: 10th July 2022 09:34 AM | Last Updated: 11th July 2022 08:47 AM | A+A A-
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. (Photo | AP)
NEW DELHI: Indian-origin British MP Rishi Sunak on Saturday formally launched his campaign to replace Boris Johnson as UK PM, days after the latter stepped down. He has attracted the support of over a dozen MPs to become the country’s next prime minister.
"I am standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister. Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country,’’ tweeted the 42-year-old Sunak.
Kickstarting his campaign as the next PM, Rishi says his family is everything to him and it was his country Britain that gave his family a better future.
"The country is facing serious challenges and we should confront it with honesty, seriousness and determination. Someone has to grip this moment and make the right decisions. I want to lead this country in the right direction. I ran the toughest department in the country in the toughest times when we lived the nightmare of Covid. My values are non-negotiable,’’ says Sunak.
Over a dozen MPs have declared their support for Rishi to become PM after Boris Johnson’s resignation.
“We must have a serious individual to steer us through these serious times. Only Rishi has the proven track record as an economic heavyweight to deliver. I am backing him to be our next Prime Minister,’’ British lawmaker, Mel Stride, said.
Another of Sunak’s key backers, MP Simon Jupp said, “I trust Rishi to deliver a credible Conservative vision for the future which restores trust and rebuilds our economy.”However, the son-in-law of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy faces strong challengers.
As many as eight other candidates are in the fray for the PM’s post. Among them, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, a Johnson loyalist, has emerged as the front-runner, with multiple opinion polls favouring him.
Minister of state for trade policy for Penny Mordaunt and former foreign secretary Liz Truss are other strong candidates.
