London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 11, 2025

The Frontrunners In The Race To Become The Next UK Prime Minister

The Frontrunners In The Race To Become The Next UK Prime Minister

Former UK finance minister Rishi Sunak is a frontrunner in the race to become the next Prime Minister of UK. He was long seen as the successor of Boris Johnson.

The race to replace Britain's Boris Johnson as Conservative leader and prime minister is underway, with nine candidates already declared and more Tory MPs likely to join.

While several possible successors are seen as frontrunners, there is no clear favourite -- and such contests are notoriously volatile.

 Rishi Sunak


The UK's Indian-origin finance minister, Sunak quit on Tuesday and declared he was standing three days later.

Long seen as Johnson's most likely successor, his prospects were dented earlier this year by questions over his private wealth and family's tax arrangements.

But a recent poll of Conservative members who will eventually vote for their new leader put him on top.

Sunak, 42, has a high profile on social media -- launching his bid in a slick video posted to Twitter -- and won plaudits for shoring up the economy during the pandemic.

But his apparent reluctance to embrace the immediate tax cuts being promised by rivals could harm his prospects.

 Jeremy Hunt


Former foreign and health secretary Hunt, 55, lost to Johnson in 2019, but confirmed Saturday he will run again.

A supporter of remaining inside the European Union during the 2016 referendum, he has revealed Brexiteer Ester McVey will be his deputy if he wins.

A fluent Japanese speaker lacking Johnson's charisma, he has also vowed to cut corporation tax from 25 to 15 percent.

 Liz Truss


Foreign Secretary Truss is widely expected to stand but is yet to say so.

The 46-year-old is popular among Conservative members for her outspokenness.

But that has also stoked questions about her judgement, for instance when in February she encouraged Britons to fight in Ukraine.

Critics say her leadership posturing is too overt.

When she headed the Department for International Trade, some MPs dubbed it the "Department for Instagramming Truss" because of her prolific output on the social media site.

 Sajid Javid


Javid, who also quit as health secretary Tuesday and had previously resigned as finance minister in 2020, announced his candidacy Saturday.

The 52-year-old son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver was previously a high-flying banker.

Like Sunak, he also faces questions about his personal wealth and tax affairs but tried to brush them off in media interviews Sunday, promising a raft of tax cuts.

 Nadhim Zahawi


Newly appointed finance minister Zahawi was praised for overseeing Britain's pandemic vaccines rollout, before helming the education department.

The 55-year-old is a former refugee from Iraq who came to Britain as a child speaking no English. Before entering politics, he co-founded the prominent polling company YouGov.

But his private wealth has also drawn adverse attention, including when he claimed parliamentary expenses for heating his horse stables.

His fledgling campaign was endangered Sunday after newspapers reported he is being investigated by UK tax authorities, though he has denied wrongdoing.

 Tom Tugendhat


The prominent backbencher who chairs parliament's influential Foreign Affairs Committee was the first to launch his bid.

A former army officer who served in the Middle East, he is also a hawk on China and been critical of the government's handling of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The 49-year-old is pitching himself as a "clean start" after Johnson's turbulent three-year tenure.

 Penny Mordaunt


Mordaunt, 49, the first woman to have been UK defence secretary and currently a trade minister, was the latest to join the contest, announcing in a video posted to social media Sunday.

A strong Brexit supporter and key figure in the 2016 "Leave" campaign, she has been tipped as a potential unity candidate who could draw support from the Conservative party's warring factions.

 Suella Braverman


Attorney general and arch-Brexiteer Braverman declared her campaign in mid-week media interviews.

The 42-year-old is popular within the party for her Euroscepticism.

She is one of 28 so-called "Spartan" Tory MPs, who refused to back ex-Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal on all three occasions it was voted on in parliament.

 Grant Shapps


Transport Secretary Shapps emerged onto the crowded field on Saturday, also promising tax cuts and competent government.

The 53-year-old is seen as an effective communicator and campaigner, but considered a long shot for the top job.

 Kemi Badenoch


Former equalities minister Badenoch, who resigned Wednesday, has the lowest profile of the current contenders and is another unlikely victor.

The 42-year-old has promised to tell "the truth", saying people are "exhausted by platitudes and empty rhetoric."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
×