After British Prime Minister Liz Truss announced his resignation on Thursday, the ruling Tories want to appoint a successor as soon as possible. A protracted power struggle for the party chairmanship, such as in the summer, must be avoided. The accelerated process is expected to be completed by the end of next week. A maximum of three candidates can stand for election. The potential successors would have to be supported by at least 100 MPs, Tory MP Graham Brady explained the succession plan.
Nominations must be made before 2 p.m. local time on Monday. Since there are 357 Conservative MPs, a maximum of three candidates can be nominated. Then MPs have to agree on two candidates – or they directly choose one candidate to move to Downing Street. The result of this vote must be available no later than 6 p.m.
“Fast-track procedures” can also last until Friday
Should two candidates remain, the Tory MPs will determine their favorites in a sort of directional vote until 9 p.m. Monday. The loser then has the option to withdraw the candidacy. Otherwise, the 170,000 party members will choose one of the two candidates for party leader and thus prime minister by next Friday at the latest in an online vote.
Check it out: Truss surprisingly resigns after just six weeks in office
Sunak again one of the hottest contenders
After the resignation of then Prime Minister David Cameron following the Brexit vote in 2016, Theresa May won a similar lawsuit against her competitor Andrea Leadsom without grassroots consultation. Truss received the votes of 142,000 Tory members last summer, despite a majority of Conservative MPs backing their rival, ex-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak. This is now again considered one of the favorites for the top party and government office.
Fall into the abyss: Tories in poll at 14 percent
After Truss’ hasty resignation, time is running out for the Tories to get their affairs in order as polls continue to fall. In a poll conducted Thursday by market research firm PeoplePolling, 53 percent of those polled said they would vote for the opposition Labor party if a general election were held. Only 14 percent wanted to vote for the Tories, the Liberal Democrats got to 11 percent in the poll.
In any case, the British opposition parties are demanding immediate new elections after the fall of the Conservative government. However, the government has to declare this, so an early election is considered rather unlikely. Elections are to take place in early 2025 at the latest, but elections are expected in 2024.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
