Former finance minister Rishi Sunak has cemented his lead over rivals to become Britain’s next prime minister in the second round of voting of an increasingly bitter race to replace Boris Johnson.
Sunak, whose exit from the Treasury last week was one of the first in a cascade of resignations that forced Johnson to quit, has been the frontrunner among Conservative legislators despite being blamed by some for his role in Johnson’s downfall.
He faces competition from Penny Mordaunt, a junior trade minister and foreign minister Liz Truss, who launched her official campaign earlier arguing she was the only contender with the experience to take the “tough decisions” needed.
After maintaining his lead Sunak thanked his supporters and said on Twitter: “I am prepared to give everything I have in service to our nation. Together we can restore trust, rebuild our economy and reunite the country.”
