The fight to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson is on. In a television duel, the candidates attacked each other.
LONDON – A bitter battle is raging in Great Britain over the successor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Liz Truss, Secretary of State, took a tough approach to her competitors in a televised debate. She accused ex-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak of leading Britain into recession through tax cuts.
Penny Mordaunt, a former defense secretary, also attacked Sunak for his wealth and alleged tax dodging by his family. So far, Sunak has led the Tory party’s internal votes on Johnson’s successor. However, five other candidates are still in the running – but Sunak, Mordaunt and Tuss have the best chances.
Johnson successor: Braverman claims Mordaunt is ‘too woke’
Suella Braverman, Attorney General for England and Wales, claimed that Mordaunt was “too woke” to lead the Tories or become Prime Minister. “We all know what’s going on – this is exactly the toxic politics that people are fed up with,” countered Mordaunt, who advocates for transgender rights. In fact, “woke” is a derogatory, right-wing battle term like “political correctness” or “do-gooder.”
Several rounds of voting for Johnson’s successor
The candidates for the successor to Boris Johnson will compete against each other in several election rounds – by Wednesday (July 20th) it should be clear who will go into the runoff election. Before that, there will be further votes on Monday (July 18) and Tuesday (July 17). On Monday (5 September) the new party leader will be elected.
Whoever wins will also take over from Johnson. He had resigned from his post after an internal party revolt. However, Johnson wants to continue the business until there is a decision on his successor. The politician was recently criticized again.
Boris Johnson again in the criticism
The news channel Sky News reported that Johnson was throwing a private party at the luxurious Checkers country estate. Shortly before, the government had declared a disaster because of the heat and called a meeting of the national crisis team Cobra. However, Johnson did not appear.
Angela Rayner, deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, spoke of a “zombie government” and called on Johnson to vacate his seat “if he is still unable to take responsibility”. A plan is needed to keep people safe at work, in traffic, in schools, hospitals and nursing homes in the face of the heat, Rayner said. (mse)
