Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt are running to be Conservative leaders after Truss’s resignation
(Picture: Getty Images)Boris Johnson has dropped out of the running to become the next prime minister after Liz Truss’s resignation last week.
The former prime minister said on Sunday October 23, that he was taking himself out of the leadership contest despite having received more than 100 Tory MP nominations – although that figure has been contested.
Mr Johnson said he could have been “back in Downing Street by Friday” but has “sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do”.
“You can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in parliament,” he said.
So with the former prime minister no longer in the running, who could be the new party leader?
Who’s running to be the next prime minister?
There are two candidates in the running to be prime minister: Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt.
Former chancellor Mr Sunak gained nominations on Sunday after Mr Johnson’s departure from the race, with at least 12 of Johnson’s supporters said to have switched to Mr Sunak’s campaign.
Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, Cabinet Office minister Nadhim Zahawi, former Home Secretary Priti Patel, former Culture Secretary Sir John Whittingdale, and Sir James Duddridge are all said to be supporting Mr Sunak’s bid for the top job.
It is thought that Mr Sunak has around 180 nominations, which is more than half of the 357 Tory MPs.
Meanwhile, Ms Mordaunt is said to be campaigning to reach the 100 nominations needed to be on the ballot. One tally suggests she currently has 31 nominations.
If Ms Mordaunt is unable to reach the 100 nominations figure, Mr Sunak will automatically become the next prime minister, skipping the Tory member vote.
However, if Ms Mordaunt is able to gain enough nominations by Monday afternoon, members of the Tory party will decide which of the two candidates will become prime minister in a vote.
