Sunak is currently the only candidate to meet the nomination threshold, and the United Kingdom will welcome the first Indian prime minister?

On October 23, local time, after former British Prime Minister Johnson announced his withdrawal, the selection of the next leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister in the United Kingdom became clearer, and former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak is currently receiving the most support, and the United Kingdom may usher in the first Indian prime minister.

According to the election procedure for the party leader announced by the "1922 Committee" of the British Conservative Party, if as of 14:00 local time on the 24th (21:00 Beijing time), only one candidate has the support of more than 100 members of a total of 357 MPs, this candidate will automatically win the election as the leader of the Conservative Party and the next prime minister. Otherwise, the first round of voting will be held at 6 p.m. on the same day; If necessary, a second round of balloting will be held at 9 p.m. on the same day.

October 22, 2022 local time, London, England, after Truss resigned as prime minister, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived at London Gatwick Airport by plane. Visual China map

According to the BBC's count of MPs who have made public statements of support, the number of supporters in Johnson's camp was 54 at the time of Johnson's withdrawal, while Sunak reached 155. Mordaunt, the incumbent leader of the House of Commons, who backed another announced candidacy, numbered fewer than 25 supporters.

As of press time, Mordaunt supporters said she still has hope of winning over the 100-member support threshold and entering the voting showdown with Sunak.

Johnson stepped out of the background

Before Johnson announced his withdrawal, he was a "favourite" to replace then-British Prime Minister Truss. But according to the Guardian, Johnson will only quit if he thinks he can't win the race.

The report pointed out that the former prime minister's statement announcing his decision not to participate in the election on the 23rd is a typical "Johnson style": on the one hand, it is an optimistic insistence on his ability to win; On the other hand, he pretended to be modest, indicating that he chose another path for the sake of unity.

Other British media outlets have ruthlessly debunked this: while Johnson said in his statement that he had the support of 102 MPs, according to media reports, he may have actually received only half of the number he claimed. As a result, his so-called "believing he could win the election and return to Downing Street, but at the wrong time" is even more empty talk.

In addition, among the lawmakers who publicly expressed support for Sunak, many of them had previously firmly sided with Johnson, but this time they switched sides, which has become one of the reasons for Johnson to "judge the hour and size up the situation".

According to British media reports, if Johnson takes over again, more than a dozen Conservative MPs will form a coalition to resign en masse to oppose Johnson's return. Some Conservative MPs also said that given the strong opposition to Johnson, even if Johnson is elected, it will be difficult to pass any laws in the House of Commons in the future.

The Guardian quoted former British Prime Minister David Cameron as telling Tony Blair that although Johnson was not yet aware of it, he was in the past tense of the Conservative Party and "he was the future once".

However, Johnson's withdrawal or, as he put it, was the result of a failed attempt. He said he had previously approached Sunak and Mordaunt "hoping to come together in the national interest, but unfortunately we have not been able to find a solution".

According to Bloomberg previously reported, Johnson and Sunak held face-to-face talks on the evening of the 22nd, and a person familiar with the matter, who did not want to be named, revealed that some Conservative MPs called on them to set aside their differences and finalize an agreement, one of whom took over as prime minister and the other held a senior cabinet position. Sunak also responded on Twitter after Johnson issued a withdrawal statement on the 23rd: "Although he has decided not to run again, I sincerely hope that he will continue to contribute to public life at home and abroad." ”

A loser in September becomes prime minister in October?

"The UK is a great country, but it is facing a deep economic crisis." Sunak said in a tweet on the 23rd, "That's why I want to stand in the position of leader of the Conservative Party and your next prime minister." He also promised to repair the economy, unite the Conservatives and contribute to Britain.

According to the US political news website Politico, most analysts believe that Sunak is almost no longer in suspense as the next leader of the Conservative Party and the British prime minister. According to a previous report by the Financial Times, Sunak and his campaign team have been preparing for weeks for Truss's ouster, which has also made him the "frontrunner" in this campaign.

Born in 1980 to an Indian immigrant family in Southampton, England, Sunak studied at Winchester College and then at Oxford University to study politics, philosophy and economics. In 2015, he was elected to Conservative MPs and a staunch supporter of Brexit. In February 2020, he became the Chancellor of the Exchequer and was named the UK's most popular official in 2020 with the image of the social media platform "Dishy Sunak".

On July 5 this year, Sunak resigned from the government after losing confidence in then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and three days later announced his candidacy for the new leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister. On September 5, Sunak was defeated in the election by then-British Foreign Secretary Truss, who became the 78th British Prime Minister and "flashed" 45 days later.

Previously, Sunak had caused a lot of controversy. In April 2022, the British media revealed that his wife, Akshata, the daughter of an Indian billionaire, used her status as a "non-British citizen" to evade tens of millions of pounds in British taxes. At that time, it was also reported that Sunak himself had a US green card, causing an outcry in British public opinion.

In addition, Sunak has always emphasized his Hindu identity, which has made him a big addition to the cosmopolitan Hindu middle class in South Asia. Some Conservative Party members have been critical of this.

On October 22, local time, London Radio (LBC) host Sangita Myska answered a call from party member Jerry on the program. Jerry pointed out that Sunak "doesn't love England" and is not even British in the eyes of most people. In contrast, he believes Johnson "loves England" more and wants him back. However, LBC called Jerry's comments biased and "shocking." Host Miska countered his remarks on the spot, calling Sunak "a British citizen" and saying that "many believe he saved the economy through a mandatory leave scheme".

Last March, then-Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak proposed a "furlough scheme" to combat the unemployment crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Under the scheme, the government paid 80% of the wages of employees who were forced to take leave due to the pandemic (capped at £2,500 per person per month), and the scheme was adjusted several times in the following months.

Affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the new crown epidemic, the British economy and people's livelihood problems continue to expand, Truss stepped down due to economic problems, and the next prime minister will undoubtedly continue to face this problem. Whether Sunak, who has a relevant background, can solve the problem and bring the LinkedIn country out of the difficult situation has become the focus.

Sunak also declared "repairing the economy" as his priority when he launched his official campaign. According to a previous report by The Guardian, Sunak is most concerned about tax issues, preferring a "fiscal prudence" policy, suggesting that the fiscal deficit be dealt with first and hinting at further cuts in public spending. On economic policy, Sunak promised to "return to traditional conservative economic values." He advocated deregulation of finance to provide long-term capital for businesses.

Current Chancellor of the Exchequer Hunt also publicly supported Sunak on October 23. In a published article, Hunt said: "Our public finances, market credibility and international reputation have all taken a serious hit. To restore stability and confidence, we need a leader who can be trusted to make difficult choices... (Sunak) will turn the wrong page and make decisions in the national interest to rebuild the extraordinary potential of our economy. ”

Column editor-in-chief: Qin Hong Text editor: Lu Xiaochuan Title picture source: Xinhua News Agency Photo editor: Su Wei

Source: Author: The Paper