Eight candidates officially in the race to replace Boris Johnson

They are eight on the starting line. The race for Downing Street has officially started and eight Conservative Party candidates are trying to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson after receiving the necessary number of sponsorships on Tuesday 12 July. The latter resigned Thursday after some sixty of his executive board members closed the door, tired of recurring scandals. However, he remains Prime Minister until the knowledge of his successor on 5 September.

Unsurprisingly, the former Finance Minister Rishi SunakFormer Defense Minister Penny Mordaunthead of diplomacy Les Truss And the deputy Tom Tugendhat They easily secured the 20 supporters necessary to be formal candidates for the Conservative Party leadership – and thus for the position of Prime Minister, announced the 1922 Committee, the parliamentary group of Conservatives responsible for setting the polling rules.

The new finance minister Nadim ZahawiLegal Adviser to the Government (“Attorney General”) Suila BravermanFormer Minister of State for Equality Kimi Badenoch The former Minister of Health Jeremy Hunt They are also in running. On Tuesday morning, there were still eleven candidates to succeed Boris Johnson, but three of them, including former health minister Sajid Javid, withdrew as the application deadline approached.

From Wednesday, the eight candidates will have to muster 30 MPs to their cause if they want to pass the first round of voting. A second round is scheduled for Thursday and another on Monday if necessary. The goal is to have only two candidates left before the parliamentary recess that begins on July 22. The name of the future prime minister will be known in September after a final vote open to party members. The bookmakers put neck and neck Rishi Sunak and Benny Mordaunt, followed by Liz Truss.