Following the resignation of Liz Truss from the role of PM last week, after holding the position for some 45-odd days, the vacant role was to be filled by a Tory leadership race. However, as the nomination deadline passed today, October 24, at 2 PM, Rishi Sunak was the only one candidate able to successfully gain a nomination for the race. Penny Mourdant, his only other competition in the wake of Boris Jonson’s withdrawal from the race, was unable to gain the required 100 MP backers to cinch a nomination. In turn, she withdrew from the running, and threw her support behind Sunak. As such, and as the only candidate in the race for leader of the Conservative Party, Rishi Sunak has taken the position. In turn, Rishi Sunak is now set to become the prime minister of the United Kingdom.
Seven weeks after losing to Liz Truss, in his bid to become PM after Boris Johnson’s resignation from the role, Rishi Sunak has won the victory. He is set to become the UK’s first British Asian prime minister, and he take office with the UK facing enormous economic challenges and uncertainty.
Penny Mourdant, in the wake of dropping out of the running, had the following to say:
“These are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today. They have taken this decision in good faith for the good of the country. Members should know that this proposition has been fairly and thoroughly tested by the agreed 1922 process. As a result, we have now chosen our next Prime Minister. This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi has my full support. I am proud of the campaign we ran and grateful to all those, across all sides of our party, who gave me their backing. We all owe it to the country, to each other and to Rishi to unite and work together for the good of the nation. There is much work to be done.”
Rishi Sunak is expected to address MPs at 14:30 BST.