British Conservative Party Leadership Election Begins: Eight Candidates Run; Javid Withdraws

Last Updated on 07/13/2022 by てんしょく飯

On April 12, the ruling Conservative Party in the U.K. began the party leadership election following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement of his resignation as party leader. On that day, candidacies closed, and eight people who had gathered 20 nominations officially ran. Former Health Minister Sajid Javid, who had indicated his intention to run, announced his withdrawal a few minutes before the deadline.

Eleven people had initially indicated their intention to run for party leader, but in addition to Javid, Councilor Rehman Chishti and Transport Minister Grande Shaps declined to run.

This leaves Kemi Beidnock, former minister in charge of leveling up; Suella Braverman, Justice Secretary; Jeremy Hunt, former health minister; Penny Mordaunt, foreign policy minister; Rishi Sunak, former finance minister; Riz Truss, foreign minister; Tom Tugenhart, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and Nadim Zahawi, finance minister. Eight people are vying for the position of Britain’s next prime minister.

The Conservative Party leadership race will first be narrowed down to two candidates through multiple rounds of voting by members of the House of Commons.

The first vote is scheduled to take place between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. local time on January 13. Candidates who receive fewer than 30 votes will be eliminated at this point.

The Conservative Party’s 1922 Committee, which is organizing the party leadership race, hopes to finish narrowing down the field of candidates by the 21st.

Once there are two candidates, a mail-in ballot will be conducted by 160,000 Conservative Party members nationwide, with the final winner to be announced on September 5.

■Mr. Javid is not running for office.

Mr. Javid resigned as Minister of Health on September 5. This triggered the resignation of a group of cabinet ministers, which led to Johnson’s resignation.

In announcing his decision not to run, Javid said he had “put forward values and policies that I believe are right for the future of this great country.

He added, “I believe that for the Conservative Party to win again now, we must look outward, not inward. After the party leadership election, I look forward to seeing the debate unfold and to seeing my colleagues in the Conservative Party united and working together,” he said.

Interior Minister Priti Patel was also expected to run for the party leadership. Although she had garnered support from the House of Representatives, Interior Minister Patel has indicated that she will not run.

Criticisms of “Rigging” over Candidates’ Candidacy

Each candidate gave a 12-minute speech at the House of Representatives on the afternoon of November 12, but no cameras were allowed to cover the event.

After the candidates were announced, Johnson’s supporters, including Culture Minister Nadine Doris, claimed that Soonak had arranged for Hunt to run by offering him endorsements. Culture Minister Dorris called the move “dirty, deceptive, and black-hearted.

The Soonak campaign needed a candidate who could win a runoff election, and that was Jeremy Hunt,” Doris said.

In response, a source close to Soonak’s endorser countered that the claim was “total bullshit” and that “nothing like that has happened.”

Hunt also appeared on LBC radio and said, “We are running a completely independent campaign.