The Conservative leader in the House of Commons and former Defense Minister, Penny Mordaunt, was this Friday the first candidate to confirm her intention to stand as the primaries of her formation to succeed Liz Truss as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Mordaunt, 49, said he made the decision encouraged by the support of fellow Conservatives who "want a fresh start, a united party and leadership that puts the national interest first."
The candidates to lead the government party must gather the support of at least one hundred of the 357 'Tory' deputies before Monday at 2:00 p.m. (local time).
According to the count of parliamentarians who have publicly expressed their preferences that the newspaper 'The Telegraph' has started, 61 have already indicated that they opt for the former Minister of Economy Rishi Sunak, who starts as the favorite in the bets, although he has not yet officially confirmed their participation in the primaries.
Another 40 MPs back former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is also considering standing as a candidate just a month and a half after leaving Downing Street, haunted by scandals, and being forced to resign by his own colleagues.
Mordaunt, for his part, has so far achieved the public support of 16 deputies, according to the accounts of 'The Telegraph'.
If only a single candidate exceeds the threshold necessary to participate in the primaries, that candidate will be appointed the new leader of the Conservative Party next Monday and will also inherit the head of government.
In the event that there is more than one candidate, the decision will remain in the hands of the party's affiliates, who will choose the leader with an online vote, the result of which will be known next Friday.
