Race to replace the UK PM, Rishi Sunak is Bookmakers’ favorite

New Delhi: The latest survey conducted by the British media (BBC.com) on the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom saw that the Indian origin candidate Rishi Sunak is the most favorite candidate to replace Boris Johnson as Conservative Party leader and the next British prime minister. Sunak is now the favorite according to betting odds. Sunak leads the field, followed by Ms. Mordaunt and Ms. Truss.

If one was to go by numbers now, only two candidates have managed to garner the support of 20-plus MPs: Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.

Ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak is leading with the support of close to 40 MPs, and he has already launched the ‘Ready for Rishi’ campaign to harness early support. However, there are many free-floating votes, signaling that the corridors of Westminster could get very busy on July 12.

Another senior Indian-origin candidate considering a leadership bid is UK Home Secretary Priti Patel, who is expected to pitch herself as a committed Brexiteer and is reportedly looking to bring other Brexit hardliners, like Braverman and Badenoch, into her camp.

The 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs, which organizes the leadership contest, has raised the bar. On the evening of July 11, it was announced that the nominations for the post can be filed on July 12, between 12 noon and 6 pm.

Only a window of around six hours has been given to file the nomination for the leadership battle. Each candidate will require the support of at least 20 MPs to do so and each candidate will be allowed to spend £300,000 on their campaign, which could last about eight weeks for the two who reach the finishing line.

This time around, the support required by each candidate has been raised from eight MPs to 20. The first round of voting takes place on Tuesday. Anyone who then received less than 30 votes will be eliminated before another vote follows on Thursday.

The first elimination round would increase the support number to 30 MPs. Sir Graham Brady, the committee chairman, insisted this only keeps “serious candidates” in the race.

The process of elimination could be wrapped by next Monday when the world would know who the top two contenders for the post of the prime minister are.

Meanwhile, sitting Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to throw his support behind any candidate. “I wouldn’t want to damage anybody’s chances by offering my support,” Johnson said in his first media appearance since last week when he announced his decision to step down.

Expected dates in the contest

12 July – Nominations close for candidates – each needs the backing of 20 MPs

13 July – First round of voting – candidates with fewer than 30 votes eliminated

14 July – Second round of voting – a candidate with fewest votes eliminated

18-21 July – Successive rounds of voting until two candidates remain

July/August – Final two candidates face Tory party members at hustings around the country and 5 September – New PM announced.

(_Vinayak)