Zahawi is Britain’s Finance Minister, a job he got days ago when his predecessor Rishi Sunak resigned in protest against Prime Minister Boris Johnson – who is now set to be replaced. Zahawi is expected to start his election campaign on Monday, he wrote Sky News.
Sunak had also previously signed up as a candidate for the top job.
Not a new election
Grant Shapps is the Minister for Transport, and told the Sunday Times that he will not call new elections if he gets the Prime Minister job.
The two previous Prime Ministers, Theresa May and Boris Johnson, both called for new elections after the Conservative Party confirmed they got the post of Prime Minister.
The Mail on Sunday reports that Secretary of State Liz Truss will also seek to become Prime Minister. In his election campaign, he will advocate “classical conservative principles”, the paper reported.
[ Boris Johnson går av som partileder – disse er favorittene til å bli hans etterfølger ]
Will not be silent
That same day, Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, widely cited as the favorite for the prime minister’s job, announced that he did not wish to run.
“After careful consideration, and discussing it with colleagues and family, I have decided that I will not run as the party leader candidate for the Conservatives,” Wallace wrote in Twitter Saturday.
He further wrote that it was a difficult choice, but that he wanted to concentrate on his work as Defense Minister.
Election in autumn
– I wish all the candidates all the best, and hope we get back to the issues we choose to tackle soon, said Wallace.
As well as Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman, Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat have previously announced that they want to become the next Conservative leader, and with that the Prime Minister of Great Britain.
It is estimated that there will be as many as 15 candidates. Elections for new party leaders will take place in the fall.
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