London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 22, 2025

Who are the main contenders to replace Boris Johnson?

Who are the main contenders to replace Boris Johnson?

We take a look at Tory ministers jostling for top job with ratings out of 10 on chances of success

Boris Johnson’s future could be sealed as early as next week if 54 Tory MPs submit letters saying they have lost confidence in the prime minister, and 180 Conservative MPs then vote to oust him in a secret ballot.

But one of the factors making some MPs hesitant is the lack of an obvious successor. Here are the main contenders jostling for position with a rating out of 10 on their current chances of success, although MPs are taking seriously the idea that a wild card candidate could end up winning in the event of a contest.

Liz Truss 5/10
Several newer intake MPs have described Liz Truss as ‘terrific’.


The foreign secretary has been burnishing her public profile with Instagram shots of her walking red carpets and channelling Margaret Thatcher by wearing a headscarf while driving a tank. As the first Tory female foreign secretary, she has taken credit for securing the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe from an Iranian jail and imposing sanctions on Russian oligarchs, despite a sluggish start and accusations the Foreign Office was underprepared for war in Ukraine. She has long been wining and dining Tory MPs with her “fizz with Liz” evenings.

Several newer MPs have described her as “terrific” and “a new Maggie” to the Guardian, although there are as many others who use the phrase “bonkers” about her, worrying she has eccentric policy obsessions and an odd public speaking manner. Although a former remainer, she has hardened her position on Brexit and won the trust of some anti-EU colleagues with her proposals to override parts of the Northern Ireland protocol.

Jeremy Hunt 5/10


The former foreign secretary and health secretary was defeated by Johnson last time around and declined to join the cabinet. He has played the role of elder statesman from the backbenches, offering gentle and usually friendly criticism over the government’s Covid mistakes. Firmly on the centrist side of the party, he would have a job convincing the Brexity rank and file, not to mention MPs, that he is the man for the job. But he could be viewed as a calming presence after the tumult of the Johnson years, if the membership are desperate for some stability. Among the general public, he is not a hugely polarising figure, apart from among the medical community who cannot forgive his row with junior doctors during the controversy over their contracts.

Rishi Sunak 4/10
Rishi Sunak has a lot of backbench supporters who see him as calm and unflappable.


The chancellor was the likely successor, despite his relative political inexperience – until details of his family’s tax affairs sent his popularity plummeting. Sunak had built a public profile due to his press conferences explaining the Covid support schemes, winning him credit for swift action to keep families and businesses afloat. But more recently, he has been criticised for slowness to help people in the cost of living crisis and gaffes that suggest he is out of touch, such as flaunting expensive personal items and building a swimming pool at his Yorkshire mansion. He has a lot of backbench supporters who see him as calm and unflappable. But others believe he may not even want the top job as much as some of his inner circle want it for him, having been bruised by the recent non-dom row and its effect on his family. He could easily quit parliament and return to life in California, if his stint as chancellor comes to an end.

Nadhim Zahawi 3/10
Nadhim Zahawi impressed his party as vaccines minister.


The education secretary impressed his party as vaccines minister and he has done a solid job of neutralising some of the difficult issues facing the Tories on education after the chaos of Gavin Williamson’s tenure during Covid. His backstory as a former refugee from Iraq who came to Britain as a child is impressive, but some Tory MPs may worry – as with Sunak – about his wealth, from the expenses-era criticism of him claiming to heat his stables, to his former business dealings in oil and gas.

Sajid Javid 3/10


Javid, like Sunak, would have been a stronger contender were it not for recent revelations about his tax affairs, after he admitted to having been a non-dom before he was an MP. The former banker is now health secretary, having been chancellor, culture secretary, business secretary and communities secretary. He, too, has come from a humble background as the son of a bus driver and has talked interestingly in the past about how public speaking comes less easily to him than some of his privately educated colleagues.

Tom Tugendhat 3/10


The former military man is a favourite among Tory centrists. Although it would be highly unusual to have a new prime minister with no cabinet or shadow cabinet experience, some MPs believe it could be good to have a candidate untainted by the Johnson regime. However, he is relatively untested and some worry his focus is too much on foreign affairs and not on the domestic agenda to be an attractive option.

Penny Mordaunt 2/10
Penny Mordaunt has been forthright in her criticism of the PM over Partygate.


The former defence secretary was tipped for cabinet greatness as a Brexiter but she was viewed as disloyal under Johnson for having backed Jeremy Hunt. She has been one of the more forthright ministers when it comes to criticising the PM over Partygate and appears to be setting herself up for a run at the top job.

Ben Wallace 2/10


The defence secretary is topping ConservativeHome polls of members’ favourite cabinet ministers on account of his handling of the war in Ukraine and the evacuation of Afghanistan. He has very little public profile but Tory MPs say his popularity may have begun to make him consider a bid.

Michael Gove 2/10


Gove has said he would not run again, but it cannot be ruled out. He has never been popular with the public, but there is a chance Tory MPs could see him as the most experienced and capable operator. Weighing against that, some of his colleagues are concerned about his recent bizarre appearance on BBC Breakfast where he put on accents and last year’s video of him dancing alone in a Scottish nightclub.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
×