Rishi Sunak joins the British PM race formally with pledge to ‘fix UK economy’

Former Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced on Sunday afternoon that he will run for the leadership of the Conservative Party and also the race for the Prime Minister.

In a tweet he said: “The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis. That’s why I am standing to be Leader of the Conservative Party and your next Prime Minister. I want to fix our economy, unite our Party and deliver for our country”.

According to various British media reports, Sunak is way ahead of his closest competitors former prime minister Boris Johnson and former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt.

Sunak announced his bid to run for the top position after a meeting with arch rival Johnson, who has claimed that Sunak had pulled out the rug from under his feet after a series of party gate scandals. Johnson’s supporters are still running a strident anti-Sunak campaign.

Johnson, who was holidaying in the US had rushed back to the UK after Truss’ resignation and is believed to be in the fray for the leadership. Like the previous Tory contest that threw up Truss as the Prime Minister, this contest too has its share of controversies.

The BBC says Sunak has 133 MPs supporting him, followed by 55 for Johnson and 23 for Penny Mordaunt. The contenders have to show the support of at least 100 MPs by Monday, before the next round of competition within the party.

The crisis in British politics peaked on Thursday after Prime Minister Truss resigned owing to scathing criticism of her economic policies from within her own Conservative Party members. Addressing the media on Thursday, she said that she was unable to deliver the mandate entrusted to her by the party.