No Official Candidates, Rishi Sunak And Boris Johnson Are Favorite To Be The Next British PM

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. (Wikimedia Commons/HM Treasury and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP)

JAKARTA - Boris Johnson and former finance minister Rishi Sunak have become favorites to become leaders of the Conservative Party, as well as British Prime Minister Liz Truss left behind after resigning last Thursday.

Those wishing to replace Truss must have 100 votes from Conservative MPs, to run for competition to become residents of 10 Downing Street, the official residence as well as the UK PM's office.

The winner can be announced Monday or Friday next week. He will be elected fifth prime minister of England in the last six years.

Sunak, a former analyst at Goldman Sachs who became finance minister just as the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Europe, became Johnson's most favorite. In third place was Penny Moridaunt, a former defense minister popular with Conservative Party members.

However, no one has declared their candidacy officially for the prime minister's position.

Some Conservative lawmakers hope competition to replace it will be fast and simple, urging candidates to unite around one candidate to reduce the pain of the 'competition'.

Johnson, who was on the rise after being ousted from office three months ago, would make a sensational comeback if he won the prime minister's position back.

"I think he has a proven track record to turn things around. He can reverse it again. And I'm sure my colleagues heard the message loud and clear," said Conservative MP Paul Bristow of Johnson on LBC radio.

"Boris Johnson is a character feared by the Labor Party, Boris Johnson can win the next general election," he continued.

However, Johnson is expected to face difficulties in reaching 100 votes, after his three-year term was marred by scandals and charges of offenses.

One of his former advisers, who is no longer talking to Johnson and asked not to be named, said he was unlikely to reach the target, having isolated dozens of Conservatives during his scandal-hit tenure.

Meanwhile, despite being right in his warning that Truss' fiscal plans threaten the economy, Sunak remains highly unpopular despite being a favorite, while following the summer 'triggered insurgency' against PM Johnson.

While Moridaunt is seen as a new pair of hands, most have not been tarnished by the previous government. But, he has also not been tested and, so far, he has lagged behind Sunak and Johnson in getting support.

It is known that whoever takes over the party, they must climb mountains to try to restore or renew the reputation of the Conservative Party, which holds a large majority in parliament and does not need to hold a national election for another two years.

"Will the leader's changes be enough to make Conservative truly electorally credible, of course, highly debatable," political scientist John Lecture told the LBC.

"The problem for Conservatives is, they are a party that can maintain the economy. Now it has been very, very tarnished and may be very difficult to recover within two years," he said.