Indian origin ex-minister may replace Boris Johnson to become next UK Prime Minister
Jul 08, 2022
London [UK], July 8 : After Boris Johnson stepped down as Prime Minister of Britain, former minister Rishi Sunak has put forward his contendership to become the next Prime Minister of Britain.
"I'm standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your Prime Minister," he tweeted, adding that it is about time to rebuild the economy and reunite the country.
This comes after British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson stepped down from the chair on Thursday following the mass resignation of his Cabinet members over the recent scandal involving former deputy chief whip Christopher Pincher.
Out of more than 50 government officials who resigned, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak who is a Member of Parliament for Richmond (Yorks) and UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid were the first and foremost to leave Boris Johnson's side.
In a further statement, he said, "Someone has to grip the moment and make the right decisions. That's why I am standing to be the next leader of the conservative party and your Prime Minister."
I want to lead this country in the right direction, he added, claiming his values as 'non-negotiable'.
A total of 58 ministers quit the government following an ethics scandal which ultimately forced the UK premier to resign.
Johnson agreed to step down after one of his closest allies, Treasury Chief Nadhim Zahawi, told the prime minister to resign for the good of the country.
"Prime Minister: this is not sustainable and it will only get worse: for you, for the Conservative Party and most importantly of all the country," Zahawi said in a letter to Johnson. "You must do the right thing and go now."
The British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has also cut short her trip to a G20 meeting in Indonesia to return to London as she is widely seen as one of the potential contenders for the leader of the Conservative Party.
Johnson, 58, managed to remain in power for almost three years, despite allegations that he was too close to party donors, that he protected supporters from bullying and corruption allegations, and that he misled Parliament and was dishonest to the public about government office parties that broke pandemic lockdown rules.
However, Johnson could continue to remain in office until October when the Conservative party meets for its annual conference so that his replacement is found.
Conventionally, when a Conservative leader resigns, they give the party time to hold a thorough leadership contest.
