Former British Equality Minister Kemi Badenoch has added her name to the list of candidates to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson as head of the Conservative Party, while Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has decided not to run. Badenoch is one of around sixty MPs and aides who resigned this week to pressure Johnson to leave office. However, when Johnson announced his resignation as party leader, he stated that he would remain in his position until a successor is chosen, a process that could take months.
In an article published in The Times, Badenoch called for change, stating that public opinion in Britain is "exhausted by the banality and empty rhetoric." As Equality Minister, Badenoch faced criticism from members of the government’s LGBT advisory committee for her delay in banning "conversion therapies." A date for the Conservative leadership elections is expected to be set on Monday, with the winner to be installed at the party's annual conference in early October.
Among the frontrunners is former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, whose resignation on Tuesday evening led to a series of other resignations. His candidacy was immediately supported by a number of MPs, and he is the preferred candidate among Conservative members, receiving a quarter of support according to the latest poll. Following Sunak is Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who has 21 percent support from party members, while Wallace had 12 percent before his decision not to run, according to the poll results published by Channel 4 News.
Truss has not yet announced her candidacy. Wallace stated that he decided not to compete in the Conservative leadership race. According to the ConservativeHome blog, Wallace (52) has recently emerged as the most popular member of the government among Conservative Party members, surpassing Truss, thanks to his handling of the Ukraine crisis. Wallace tweeted, "After careful consideration and discussion with colleagues and my family, I have made the decision not to participate in the Conservative leadership contest." He added, "It was not an easy choice, but my focus is now on my current role and on keeping this great country safe."
Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat and Attorney General Suella Braverman have officially announced their candidacies. A source close to Jeremy Hunt revealed to British media that the former Health and Foreign Secretary, who was defeated by Johnson in 2019, is "practically certain" to run again.
