Liz Truss only lasted 45 days on the job. At 3pm today, it may become clear who will be the third British Prime Minister in less than two months.
Two days before Queen Elizabeth’s death on September 8, he swore to Liz Truss as The third female Prime Minister of Great Britain. Already on 20 October Truss announced his departure after 45 turbulent days.
He thus succeeded in the rather incredible feat of being prime minister under two regents, without even occupying the post for two months.
Now his successor at the head of the party will be elected, and therefore also prime minister.
Here is how the election of the party leader takes place:
- To be a candidate, you must have the support of at least 100 party colleagues in parliament by 3pm on Monday.
- If only one candidate achieves this goal, that person is automatically selected.
- If more people reach the limit of 100, all members of parliament must vote for their favorite candidate on Monday evening at 7pm. The person with the most votes here won’t necessarily be elected, but it can be an indication of who is in the best position.
- That is to say, it is all the approximately 150,000 members of the party who, via an online vote, will decide who wins, if there are more candidates. The result will then be announced on Friday.
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The party currently has two candidates, after Boris Johnson retired over the weekend when he realized he didn’t have enough support for a sensational return – less than two months after being forced to resign.
The two candidates are Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt. According to Sky News, the former has already secured the support of more than half of the party’s MPs, that is well over the 100 requested.
The latter has only about 25 people who have publicly pledged their support, but on Monday morning her team said they were convinced they had reached the magical limit.
LATEST: At 12.40 it was reported by the Mordaunt team that they secured the support of at least 90 people, but still only about 30 have said so publicly.
If it does not reach 100, it will already be clear by 3pm today that Sunak will become party leader and prime minister. And so is Britain’s first non-white Prime Minister.
Sunak’s favorite
Regardless of when the decision is made, whoever is elected leader of the party is expected to be installed as prime minister within days, explains British expert Erik Mustad, a lecturer in British studies at Agder University.
– Yes, they have to start fast. They probably already have a schedule ready, even if it hasn’t been made public yet.
He says Sunak is the big favorite now, even if he were to vote among all the members.
– There is little time to show off this week. You had the chance to do it in the election campaign against Truss this summer. Mordaunt will have to make a good enough effort in the next few days to stand a chance, Mustad says.
Whether he even gets the opportunity to show off this week, Mustad doesn’t dare to predict.
– After Boris Johnson resigned yesterday (Sunday journ.am.), We do not know where those who supported him will fall. The question is whether they want members to have a choice, or whether they will more or less silently support Sunak now.
Doubts about the new elections
With the third prime minister in less than two months, where the last two were not candidates for prime ministerial office during the 2019 election, several people in Britain have called for new elections. But it is by no means taken for granted that it will happen. In reverse.
– It must be remembered that in Great Britain it is not a leader who wins the elections, but a party. The prime minister is not directly elected. It’s the party that holds the mandate, and it’s up to them to choose who they feel is right to rule, Mustad explains.
This week – whether on Monday or Friday – the party leader is elected. Not Prime Minister. But the leader of the largest party automatically becomes prime minister. But, as Mustad points out, we are in rather unusual waters now with the third prime minister in such a short space of time.
– However, I doubt the Conservatives want new elections now, says the expert.
Great Labor leadership
Mustad explains it thus:
– They will probably stay on the fence as long as possible because they are now far behind Labor in opinion polls. There is nothing that indicates anything other than the fact that they want to sit for as long as possible.
Only the ruling party can call new elections before elections are held in 2024 anyway. By waiting, they can hope that the polls will turn in their favor before then.
– But it is clear that if you are now the leader of the opposition and have more than 30 percentage points more in the polls, then you are pushing for the election.
– Is there any chance that Conservatives will succumb to pressure from those who believe it is a democratic problem to have their second prime minister in a short time who was not a leader when the people voted in 2019?
– Everyone thinks the Conservatives are in chaos now, and they absolutely are, but there is nothing constitutional that gives others the right to call for new elections now. Conservatives are unlikely to turn their heels and say they have a democratic problem.
