Rishi Sunak tops new UK PM vote as only 4 remain in race

PTI, Jul 19, 2022, 9:43 AM IST

Credit: Reuters photo

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak on Monday topped the latest round of voting among the Conservative Party members of Parliament as the race to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister narrowed down to four, with Tom Tugendhat out of the race after receiving the lowest votes.

The British Indian former finance minister received 115 votes in the third round of voting, with Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt holding on to the second spot with 82 votes followed by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss with 71 votes, and Kemi Badenoch at 58 votes.

The next round of voting is expected on Tuesday to further whittle down the shortlist, with votes scheduled until only two candidates remain in the fray by Thursday.

The final two will then hold hustings up and down the UK to win over the Conservative Party’s membership of around 160,000 eligible voters to cast postal ballots in their favour.

The winner of that ballot will go on to be elected the new party leader and take over from caretaker Boris Johnson as the new British Prime Minister by September 5.