WESTMINSTER, UNITED KINGDOM — Rishi Sunak has been tapped to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after having secured the confidence of the majority of Conservative Members of Parliament in the British House of Commons.
Sunak, 42, will be the first person of colour and the first Hindu to hold the position in the country’s history. His appointment marks an abrupt end to Liz Truss’ tenure as prime minister that was marred by party dissent and cabinet resignations.
His chief challenger Penny Mordaunt backed out of the leadership race ahead of today’s 2pm submission deadline for the final ballot.
Former Prime Minister British Johnson, who led the Conservative Party to a general election victory just three years ago, was also rumored to have an interest in standing in the leadership contest.
However, he announced in a statement yesterday that “it would simply not be the right thing to do”.
Sunak initially ran for the Conservative party’s top spot this summer in the aftermath of Johnson’s July resignation. The Member of Parliament for Richmond was defeated by Truss 81,326 to 60,399 in a protracted battle decided by party members.
Though opposition parties have called for fresh general elections in light of a steep decline in public favorability for the governing ‘tories’, Sunak has already reportedly ruled out the possibility.
The United Kingdom last held general elections in 2019. An election is not mandated to be held before January 2025.
