After PM Theresa May quit as leader of the Conservative party on Friday, the contest to replace her as leader of the party and PM of the country has heated up, with candidates lining up. In the forefront is former foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
Eleven MPs are vying to replace May and whoever succeeds her as head of the party will automatically enter Downing Street. May quit over her failure to take Britain out of EU on time.
UK Foreign Secretary Hunt presented himself as the unity candidate capable of beating Johnson. He however, has endorsement of Eurosceptic defence secretary Penny Mordaunt and work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd. The date of Britain exiting EU is now October 31. Hunt is among those who are talking tough on the divorce terms or exiting without a deal.
Former London mayor, Johnson has been keeping a low public profile but is campaigning hard behind the scenes, and his rivals tacitly have acknowledged he is the one to beat. He also has support of Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith and prisons minister Robert Buckland.
Other contenders to replace May include former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab, health secretary Matt Hancock, home secretary Sajid Javid, former leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom, international development secretary Rory Stewart, former work and pensions secretary Esther McVey and former party chief whip Mark Harper
"We need someone who has been tested in the heat of battle. not someone who will hide in their bunker," said Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who had directly criticised Johnson for his newly-announced proposal of cutting taxes for the rich. Gove had decided to run for premiership three years ago and this put a dampener on Johnson's chances then. Gove, had back then attacked his colleague's hardline Brexit policy.
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt opposed Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum. He had however said that the Conservatives under pressure from populist eurosceptic Nigel Farage's Brexit party must live up to expectations of voters or face 'annihilation' in the next election. Hunt has also lambasted the gaffe-prone Johnson.
"I'm the conviction Brexiteer with the plan, the discipline and the focus to lead us out by the end of October," former Brexit minister Dominic Raab said. He also attacked Johnson's plans for a tax cut for the rich.
Johnson drew rebuke from Paris on Sunday for saying Britain may withhold the multi-billion-euro divorce payment which May has agreed, its liabilities from four decades of EU membership.
"Not honouring payment obligations is a breach of international commitment equivalent to a default on its sovereign debt," a source close to French President Emmanuel Macron said. Brussels has refused to renegotiate the terms any further. The existing negotiation covers Britain's financial settlement, the rights of EU citizens and the Northern Irish border. But many leadership candidates insist that they will try for a renegotiation of terms.
The 313 Conservative MPs will begin voting on Thursday to choose a leader. Voting will take place over a series of secret ballots to whittle the number down to two. After which, 16,000 party members will choose Britain's next PM.
