- Sunak expresses a willingness to make difficult decisions
- The leadership contest schedule has not yet been announced
- Sunak resigned Tuesday, citing differences with Johnson
LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) – Former British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak said on Friday that he was running to replace Boris Johnson, three days after he helped launch the cascade of resignations that toppled the prime minister.
Johnson announced Thursday that he would step down as prime minister after a massive rebellion in his Conservative Party, sparked by the latest in a series of scandals that had fatally undermined public confidence.
Johnson’s impending departure has added political uncertainty to an already difficult mix of rising inflation, slowing growth and industrial unrest, amid a war in Ukraine, the UK’s ongoing struggle to adjust to life after of Brexit.
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“Someone has to seize this moment and make the right decisions. That’s why I’m running to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister,” Sunak said in a campaign video posted on Twitter.
Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid left the cabinet on Tuesday with a few minutes apart, setting in motion a string of events that led to Johnson’s decision to resign.
A poll of Conservative Party members – who can usually choose between the last two candidates – put Sunak in the lead with 25%, ahead of Foreign Secretary Liz Truss with 21%. The Channel 4 News Opinium poll surveyed 493 party members.
The rules and schedule for the contest to replace Johnson will have to be set next week by a party committee.
Sunak’s budget last year put Britain on track for its biggest tax burden since the 1950s, which critics said undermined its claim to favor lower taxes.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunak oversaw about 400 billion pounds ($ 481 billion) of financial support, preventing a large jump in unemployment but letting public debt rise to a record high in time of peace in the face of a historic fall in GDP.
Sunak’s popularity among Conservative lawmakers declined after he raised payroll taxes in April to fund higher spending on health and social care and announced plans to abruptly raise corporation tax on 2023.
Sunak said in his resignation letter that it had become clear that his approach to the economy had been too different from Johnson’s as the two had tried to agree on the next steps for the country.
He continued with this theme in his candidacy announcement video.
“The decisions we make today will decide whether the next generation of Britons will also have the opportunity for a better future,” he said.
“Do we face this moment with honesty, seriousness, and determination? Or do we tell ourselves comforting fairy tales that may make us feel better at the moment, but that tomorrow will leave our children worse off?”
The number of endorsements needed to enter the race has not yet been announced, but a senior legislator, Mark Spencer, who has a ministerial role in charge of parliamentary business, immediately announced his support.
“In serious times we need a person with a proven track record. Rishi gets my full support,” he said on Twitter.
Sunak voted to leave the European Union in 2016.
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Report by William James, Farouq Suleiman and David Milliken; edited by Michael Holden, Louise Heavens and Nick Macfie
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