UK Politics

Who could replace Boris Johnson in the role of prime minister?
Education minister Andrea Jenkyns said she gave the middle finger gesture to a “baying mob” outside Downing Street but admitted she “should have shown more composure”.Ms Jenkyns, who made the sign with her hand as she walked through the black gates said in a statement that she “reached the end of my tether” and stood up for herself after being subject to “huge amounts of abuse” over the years, including death threats.Meanwhile, defence secretary Ben Wallace has ruled himself out of the Conservative Party leadership contest despite his status as favourite among the Tory grassroots.In a post on Twitter Mr Wallace said he was “grateful” to Tory MPs who pledged him support but he was ruling himself out of the race and wants to focus on his current role.And more than a dozen MPs have declared their support for former chancellor Rishi Sunak to become prime minister after Boris Johnson’s resignation.Former Tory Party co-chairman Oliver Dowden is among the seven MPs who have tweeted their support of Mr Sunak’s leadership bid using the hashtag #ready4rishi.Others who tweeted their support were Dr Liam Fox, Mark Harper, Paul Maynard, Sir Bob Neill, Mel Stride, and Jacob Young. Seven others are also backing Mr Sunak, according to reports, taking the total to at least 14.RecommendedShow latest update

1657377661Sunak ‘truly overwhelmed’ by supportRishi Sunak said he is “truly overwhelmed” by the support he has so far received from MPs in his bid for the Tory party leadership. Joe Middleton9 July 2022 15:411657376606Union leader unsatisfied with minister’s explanation for middle finger gestureGeoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, appeared to be less than satisfied with Andrea Jenkyns explanation for her middle finger gesture outside Downing Street.Without directly referencing her explanation, or the incident in question, he tweeted: “In my 32 years as a teacher, 15 of them as headteacher, I inevitably dealt with moments of poor behaviour and inappropriate conduct – from young people and staff.“I have to say, ‘I’m only human’ was never good enough as an excuse from any of them for any of it.”Joe Middleton9 July 2022 15:231657375687All the Tory MPs in the race to replace Boris Johnson as leader so farPotential successors have already begun throwing their hats into the ring to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader after he announced his resignation.The outgoing prime minister finally accepted his time had come to step down on Thursday after more than 50 MPs resigned from government and party roles over his conduct.The MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip has been dogged by a string of scandals throughout his leadership since 2019, but the final nail in the coffin came after it emerged he promoted Tory MP Chris Pincher despite knowledge of sexual misconduct claims against him.Mr Johnson said he would be staying on as prime minister in a caretaker role until a new Conservative Party leader is announced by the autumn.The contest to succeed Mr Johnson has been described by one Tory politician as the “wacky races” – with up to 15 MPs announcing their candidates or preparing to launch a campaign..Click the link below to see all the Tory MPs who have so far launched leadership campaigns: More

Defence secretary Ben Wallace has ruled himself out of the Conservative Party leadership contest despite his status as a favourite among the Tory grassroots.One of the top contenders to replace Boris Johnson, Mr Wallace said he wanted to focus on his country job of “keeping this great country safe”.“After careful consideration and discussing with colleagues and family, I have taken the decision not to enter the contest for leadership of the Conservative Party,” Mr Wallace tweeted on Saturday.The cabinet minister added: “It has not been an easy choice to make, but my focus is on my current job and keeping this great country safe.”His withdrawal boosts the chances of early frontrunner Rishi Sunak, who announced his candidacy on Friday with a slick campaign video and promise not to make the “fairytale” tax cut promises some his rivals are expected to offer.Mr Wallace was widely viewed as a favourite among Tory members, who get to choose between the two final candidates, having topped several recent online ConservativeHome survies of the party’s grassroots.RecommendedThe defence secretary also beat all other contenders in a YouGov poll of Tory members earlier this week, though the small sample size of such polls has produced some contradictory results.An Opinium poll of Tory members for Channel 4 put Mr Sunak in front on 25 per cent, ahead of foreign secretary Liz Truss on 21 per cent, with Mr Wallace further back on 12 per cent. One MP who had backed Mr Wallace said he had picked up a lot of support from MPs who stayed in government and were uncomfortable with Mr Sunak’s “treachery”.The defence secretary had also picked support from several One Nation moderates, and had been considered by his backers as a leading “unity” candidate who could gain some support from the right of the party.Tories are rushing to take sides in the race to become the new prime minister after ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak declared he has set his sights on the top job.Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch became the fourth candidate to throw her hat into the ring – promising tax cuts and declaring her opposition “identity politics”.Tom Tugendhat, a moderate from the “one nation” wing, and attorney general Suella Braverman have both picked up several endorsements after launching their campaigns.Mr Sunak has come under fire from Johnson loyalists even before the launch, with Brexit minister Jacob Rees-Mogg denouncing him as a “high tax chancellor” who failed to curb inflation.Steve Baker, who has dropped his own ambitions to be leader and backed attorney general Suella Braverman, claimed Mr Sunak is in an “unfortunate bind” as he has got to “double down” on his own economic policy to date.One top No 10 official told the Financial Times that Mr Sunak was “a treacherous b*****d”. A Johnson loyalist in the cabinet told the newspaper: “Rishi will get everything he deserves for leading the charge in bringing down the prime minister.” Jake Berry, leader of the Northern Research Group (NRG) representing MPs in the north of England, ruled out a leadership bid – saying he would now push others to fulfil the “levelling up” agenda.Meanwhile, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, 1922 Committee treasurer, said rules could be changed to thin down the crowded field and speed up the process.“Clearly what we would want to do, and I think even the candidates would admit this is, is to eliminate some of those that are clearly not going to get enough support to get in the last two at a relatively early stage,” said Sir Geoffrey.Mr Clifton-Brown said this could be done by upping the number of signatures from other Conservative lawmakers required to be nominated – and by increasing the threshold of votes candidates must receive to progress to the next round.Senior Tory MP Sir Charles Walker said leadership hopefuls who have “no hope” of winning should drop out now, with around 12 MPs announcing their candidacy or considering a bid to be leader.RecommendedTo take part, candidates need eight nominations. Candidates must then get 5 per cent of the votes to stay in the running – 18 votes – during the first round. They must get 10 per cent, 36 MPs, in the second round.The candidate with the fewest votes is the eliminated until two candidates remain, a process expected to be done by 21 July. But Sir Charles said rules could be changed so that candidates would have to get a higher level of support at each round to pass. More

Who could replace Boris Johnson in the role of prime minister?
Education minister Andrea Jenkyns said she gave the middle finger gesture to a “baying mob” outside Downing Street but admitted she “should have shown more composure”.Ms Jenkyns, who made the sign with her hand as she walked through the black gates said in a statement that she “reached the end of my tether” and stood up for herself after being subject to “huge amounts of abuse” over the years, including death threats.Meanwhile, defence secretary Ben Wallace has ruled himself out of the Conservative Party leadership contest despite his status as favourite among the Tory grassroots.In a post on Twitter Mr Wallace said he was “grateful” to Tory MPs who pledged him support but he was ruling himself out of the race and wants to focus on his current role.And more than a dozen MPs have declared their support for former chancellor Rishi Sunak to become prime minister after Boris Johnson’s resignation.Former Tory Party co-chairman Oliver Dowden is among the seven MPs who have tweeted their support of Mr Sunak’s leadership bid using the hashtag #ready4rishi.Others who tweeted their support were Dr Liam Fox, Mark Harper, Paul Maynard, Sir Bob Neill, Mel Stride, and Jacob Young. Seven others are also backing Mr Sunak, according to reports, taking the total to at least 14.RecommendedShow latest update

1657377661Sunak ‘truly overwhelmed’ by supportRishi Sunak said he is “truly overwhelmed” by the support he has so far received from MPs in his bid for the Tory party leadership. Joe Middleton9 July 2022 15:411657376606Union leader unsatisfied with minister’s explanation for middle finger gestureGeoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, appeared to be less than satisfied with Andrea Jenkyns explanation for her middle finger gesture outside Downing Street.Without directly referencing her explanation, or the incident in question, he tweeted: “In my 32 years as a teacher, 15 of them as headteacher, I inevitably dealt with moments of poor behaviour and inappropriate conduct – from young people and staff.“I have to say, ‘I’m only human’ was never good enough as an excuse from any of them for any of it.”Joe Middleton9 July 2022 15:231657375687All the Tory MPs in the race to replace Boris Johnson as leader so farPotential successors have already begun throwing their hats into the ring to replace Boris Johnson as Tory leader after he announced his resignation.The outgoing prime minister finally accepted his time had come to step down on Thursday after more than 50 MPs resigned from government and party roles over his conduct.The MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip has been dogged by a string of scandals throughout his leadership since 2019, but the final nail in the coffin came after it emerged he promoted Tory MP Chris Pincher despite knowledge of sexual misconduct claims against him.Mr Johnson said he would be staying on as prime minister in a caretaker role until a new Conservative Party leader is announced by the autumn.The contest to succeed Mr Johnson has been described by one Tory politician as the “wacky races” – with up to 15 MPs announcing their candidates or preparing to launch a campaign..Click the link below to see all the Tory MPs who have so far launched leadership campaigns: More

Newly-appointed education minister Andrea Jenkyns should “justify” her actions after making a rude gesture to a crowd outside Downing Street, the Tory Commons leader has said.Mr Jenkyns was caught on camera giving the middle finger to protesters as she walked through the gates in the wake of Boris Johnson’s downfall on Thursday.Senior Tory MP Mark Spencer, the Commons leader and former chief whip, said he does not believe the gesture was “the right thing to do at all”.Asked if it is acceptable, he told BBC Breakfast: “No, I don’t think it is, to be honest. I don’t seek to condone that at all.”Mr Spencer added: “Andrea will have to … justify that for herself. But I do understand emotions were running pretty high and they were pretty raw on that day. But I don’t think that was the right thing to do at all.”Pressed on whether Mr Jenkyns should retain her new role, amid the ministerial merry-go-round of the past few days, the Commons leader said: “That’s not my decision.”RecommendedMs Jenkyns later tweeted an explanation for her actions, saying she had “reached the end of my tether” and “stood up for myself”. She was appointed to the role of parliamentary under-secretary of state at the Department for Education on Friday in a reshuffle by Mr Johnson.The footage, shared on social media on Thursday evening, appears to have been filmed just before Mr Johnson announced he was stepping down as leader.Tory MP George Freeman, who quit as science minister this week, tweeted: “I’m sorry but this is appalling conduct for a Minister of the Crown.”Labour’s shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson tweeted: “Ministers aren’t expected to be perfect. But is it really too much to ask that they don’t treat the public like this?”Meanwhile, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the 1922 Committee, has criticised Johnson loyalist Nadine Dorries’ comments about the leadership race.The culture secretary, reportedly considering her own bid to keep Boris Johnson’s flame alive, claimed that the contest had unleashed the “hounds of hell”.Sir Geoffrey told Times Radio: “I think it’s not helpful … However, we do this process we do want to unite the Conservative Party behind a candidate.”On the timeframe for finding a leader, Sir Geoffrey confirmed that the candidates should be whittled down to two by summer recess on 21 July.The 1922 Committee treasurer also said rules could be changed to thin down the crowded field and speed up the process.“Clearly what we would want to do, and I think even the candidates would admit this is, is to eliminate some of those that are clearly not going to get enough support to get in the last two at a relatively early stage,” said Sir Geoffrey.Mr Clifton-Brown said this could be done by upping the number of signatures from other Conservative lawmakers required to be nominated – and by increasing the threshold of votes candidates must receive to progress to the next round.Tories are rushing to take sides in the race to become the new prime minister after ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak declared he has set his sights on the top job.Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch became the fourth candidate to throw her hat into the ring – promising tax cuts and declaring her opposition “identity politics”.RecommendedTom Tugendhat, a moderate from the “one nation” wing, and attorney general Suella Braverman have both picked up several endorsements after launching their campaigns.Senior Tory MP Sir Charles Walker said earlier that leadership hopefuls who have “no hope” of winning should drop out now and help slim down the field, with up to 15 MPs announcing their candidates or preparing to launch a campaign. More

Tory leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat has made his first pitch to Scottish Tory members, stressing the need for “serious and tested leadership” for the party to be successful in Scotland.The MP, who this week put himself forward to replace the beleaguered Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, said the party required a “fresh start” after the dramatic exit of the former leader.Mr Tugendhat is thought to have support among Scottish Tory MSPs, with chief whip Stephen Kerr and North East representative Douglas Lumsden having publicly declared their desire to see the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairman take over.Writing in The Times on Saturday, Mr Tugendhat said the party is the only one that voters can “trust to unequivocally stand up for the union and Scotland’s role within it”.He added: “If we are to defeat Labour and the SNP-Green coalition, our party will need a fresh start under serious and tested leadership. I have put my name forward to lead the Conservative Party to help deliver that fresh start.”RecommendedMr Tugendhat continued: “We must act now to restore trust and repair integrity in British politics; the challenges we face at home and abroad require sober leadership.“A clean slate is an opportunity to restore this integrity to our politics.”The party has been on the rise in Scotland in the past decade, overtaking Labour at the 2016 Holyrood election, but the party lost ground in May’s local elections with senior figures blaming the partygate saga for a drop in votes and return to third place.The MP, who was elected in 2015, will face stiff competition from former ministers including the recently-resigned Rishi Sunak and Attorney General Suella Braverman in the contest, with the field expected to widen in the coming days.Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is widely expected to announce her candidacy, and has already received support from MPs. More

Conservative Party leadership hopefuls who have “no hope” of winning should drop out now and help “thin” down the crowded field, senior Tory MP Sir Charles Walker has said.Sir Charles, vice chair of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers during the 2019 contest, said MPs on the current executive could change the rules to limit the number of candidates.The contest to succeed Boris Johnson has been described by one Tory politician as the “wacky races” – with up to 15 MPs announcing their candidates or preparing to launch a campaign.“I hope some of the candidates who know they have no hope of leading our party and becoming prime minister actually decide to drop out for the greater good,” Sir Charles told the BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.“A lot of people put them in the shop window in the hope it will secure them a cabinet position,” he added. “We know who they are already – they don’t need to put themselves in the shop window and sort of stretch out the process.”To take part, candidates need eight nominations. Candidates must then get 5 per cent of the votes to stay in the running – 18 votes – during the first round. They must get 10 per cent, 36 MPs, in the second round.RecommendedThe candidate with the fewest votes is the eliminated until two candidates remain, a process expected to be done by 21 July. But Sir Charles said rules could be changed so that candidates would have to get a higher level of support at each round to pass.The 1922 Committee veteran also said the process of selecting a new Tory leader in late July and August could be “truncated” by waving regional hustings.“Instead of having, say, 10 or 12 regional hustings, the party chair says we’re not having regional hustings, we’re just going to send ballot papers out to the membership,” he said.Some lesser-known MPs have raised eyebrows by announcing possible leadership bids in the past 48 hours. Rehman Chishti, Tory MP for Gillingham and Rainham, said on Saturday morning he was “actively considering” running for leader.The newly-appointed Foreign Office minister told BBC: “We need leaders who best reflect modern Britain and can provide solutions to the challenges our nation is facing now.”And John Baron, MP for Basildon and Billericay, said he was “taking soundings over the weekend” on a possible bid. “I haven’t got my eight signatures yet and that is what is apparently required, though the committee next week will confirm that,” he told Sky News.Tories are rushing to take sides in the race to become the new prime minister after ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak declared he has set his sights on the top job.Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch became the fourth candidate to throw her hat into the ring – promising tax cuts and declaring her opposition “identity politics”.Tom Tugendhat, a moderate from the “one nation” wing, and attorney general Suella Braverman have both picked up several endorsements after launching their campaigns.Tory MP Jake Berry, leader of the Northern Research Group (NRG) representing MPs in the north of England, has ruled out a leadership bid, saying he would now push candidates to fulfil the “levelling up” agenda.Despite being a respected figure among many “red wall” MPs elected in 2019, he had struggled to win the support of the group.Some moderate red-wall MPs have opted for Tom Tugendhat, who is emerging as the leading candidate from the centrist wing of the party. Others have opted for Liz Truss, Nadhim Zahawi and Kemi Badenoch.Steve Baker also dropped his ambitions to be leading, backing Ms Braverman’s campaign, saying she could deliver tax cuts and “moral” leadership.RecommendedForeign secretary Liz Truss, chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, and defence secretary Ben Wallace, tipped to be a front-runner, are expected to announced their candidacies soon.Trade minister Penny Mordaunt and former health secretary Jeremy Hunt and are also preparing their campaigns, while home secretary Priti Patel, transport secretary Grant Shapps and ex-health secretary Sajid Javid are mulling over bids.Culture secretary Nadine Dorries is also reportedly considering throwing her hat in the ring in a bid to keep Mr Johnson’s flame alive. More

Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has put herself forward as a candidate to become the new Conservative party leader as prime minister, promising “limited government”.The MP for Saffron Walden said she supported lower taxes “to boost growth and productivity, and accompanied by tight spending discipline”.Promising to be anti-woke candidate, she also hit out at “identity politics” and said Boris Johnson was “a symptom of the problems we face, not the cause of them”.“People are exhausted by platitudes and empty rhetoric. Loving our country, our people or our party is not enough,” she wrote in The Times.“What’s missing is an intellectual grasp of what is required to run the country in an era of increased polarisation, protectionism and populism amplified by social media.”RecommendedShe said governing Britain today requires “a nimble centre-right vision” that “can achieve things despite entrenched opposition from a cultural establishment that will not accept that the world has moved on from Blairism”.Ms Badenoch’s declaration capped off a day that saw many Tories declaring allegiances in the leadership race.Rishi Sunak declared his much anticipated intention to run, enjoying public backing from Commons leader Mark Spencer, former Tory party co-chairman Oliver Dowden, former chief whip Mark Harper, ex-ministers Liam Fox and Andrew Murrison, and MPs Sir Bob Neill and Paul Maynard.Former minister Steve Baker backed attorney general Suella Braverman’s campaign – withdrawing an earlier suggestion he would contend for the job.Tory MPs Chloe Smith and Julian Knight both expressed their support for foreign secretary Liz Truss on Friday, although she is yet to launch a bid.Backbencher John Baron said he will be “taking soundings” over the weekend and Tom Tugendhat, the chairman of the foreign affairs select committee, has already said he will be be putting his name forward.Lee Rowley, MP for North East Derbyshire, said he was backing Ms Badenoch.Recommended“Kemi’s clarity of analysis about the problems our country faces and her willingness to take tough decisions are exactly why colleagues should back her,” he said.More campaign launches, including those of Ms Truss and defence secretary Ben Wallace, are expected in the coming days. More

A Tory MP who reportedly asked an alleged victim of Chris Pincher if he was gay has been made a minister in Boris Johnson’s caretaker cabinet.Sarah Dines, who has been appointed parliamentary under-secretary of state jointly at the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), was said to have told the accuser his case was not “straightforward” based on his sexuality.The Sunday Times reported claims that Ms Dines – then an assistant whip – witnessed the alleged assault at the exclusive Carlton Club in London last week, after which she asked the accuser if he was gay.The alleged victim told the newspaper: “I was a bit taken aback by that and said, ‘What’s that got to do with it? But yes, I am’.“And her words were, ‘Well, that doesn’t make it straightforward’. She saw everything, which is why I am so angry.”RecommendedMs Dines, the MP for Derbyshire Dales, was said to have later escalated the matter by reporting the alleged incident to her superiors.Her reported comments were put to Mr Johnson as he was quizzed by the Commons Liaison Committee earlier this week, with Labour MP Chris Bryant asking if they amounted to “victim shaming”.Mr Johnson said he had not spoken to Ms Dines about the matter, but said: “I very much doubt that Sarah meant to put it that way”.Mr Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip last Thursday after allegedly assaulting two fellow guests at the Carlton Club the evening before.He had the Conservative whip suspended the following day after a formal complaint was made to parliament’s watchdog that examines allegations of bullying, harassment or sexual misconduct, and now faces an investigation.Mr Pincher said at the weekend he was “truly sorry” for upset he had caused after he “drank far too much” that Wednesday, and vowed to fully co-operate with the inquiry, adding that he was seeking “professional medical support”.Downing Street initially said Mr Johnson had no knowledge of previous allegations against Mr Pincher, but the now-outgoing PM later acknowledged he had been informed of inappropriate behaviour dating back to 2019.Mr Johnson said he regretted keeping him in government beyond that point.The row over the Pincher scandal unleashed a wave of pent-up frustration with Mr Johnson’s leadership, culminating in mass resignations and, ultimately, the PM’s downfall.RecommendedIn addition to Ms Dines’ new role, Downing Street announced six fresh appointments on Friday afternoon. Richard Fuller has been made economic secretary to the Treasury, Stuart Andrew has been appointed minister of state at the Ministry of Justice, and Alan Mak is now exchequer secretary to the Treasury.Rehman Chishti, Lia Nici and Brendan Clarke-Smith have been made parliamentary under-secretaries of state at the Foreign Office, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, and the Department for Education, respectively.Ms Dines has been approached for comment. More