Boris Johnson finally resigned as Tory leader on Thursday, despite an onslaught of ministerial resignations and calls for him to step down from senior colleagues – even if he hopes to remain in Downing Street until the Conservatives choose a new leader in October.
While there is no clear favorite, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is the narrow favorite, according to a new poll of party members. Read our live blog below to see how the day progressed.
British Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat announced his candidacy to succeed Boris Johnson late Thursday, becoming the first candidate to do so since the premier announced his resignation.
Tugendhat, who chairs parliament’s foreign affairs committee, confirmed his intention to run for Conservative Party leadership in a Daily Telegraph opinion piece, saying he wanted to bring together a “broad coalition” for a “clean start.”
“I’ve previously served in the military and now in Parliament. Now, as Prime Minister, I hope to answer the call once more “
Tugendhat has stated that he would run in any leadership race, but there is no love lost between him and Johnson supporters.
He is a China hawk who has criticized the government’s handling of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The timeline for naming Johnson’s replacement will be announced next week.
Party officials hope to wrap up the two-stage contest before the Conservative Party’s annual conference in October.( Curtesy France 24)
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