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Advantage Rishi Sunak: Narayana Murthy’s son-in-law could be UK’s next prime minister
Rishi Sunak holds an early advantage in the latest race to be UK's next prime minister.
Rishi Sunak is in the lead early on in the latest race for Conservative Party leader. Only Penny Mordaunt has formally entered the race for the Tory nomination as of early October 21. According to newspapers, former British prime minister Boris Johnson will participate as well.
Because of the party's threshold of 100 MPs before candidates may even appear on the ballot, only a maximum of three Conservative MPs will be able to run.
Meanwhile, Sunak secured the backing of at least 100 Tory MPs and ensured he’d proceed to the ballot of party members next week if he publicly declares his candidacy. Tory MP Tobias Ellwood earlier tweeted that he was “honoured” to take Sunak to the three-figure threshold.
UK voters would pick Sunak or Mordaunt above Johnson as the next prime minister, according to an Opinium poll. The survey says 44% of respondents preferred Sunak over Johnson while 31% preferred his former PM. Sunak is married to Akshata Murthy, Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy's daughter.
Johnson informed his former assistant James Duddridge that he was ready to launch a push to reclaim 10 Downing Street, The Sun reported. The publication also states that Johnson may speak with Sunak - a British citizen Born to parents of Indian descent - to avoid another potential conflict that might be detrimental to the Conservative Party.
The latest developments are because of Liz Truss’ resignation as the UK prime minister. October 20 marked the end of Truss’ time in office. The shortest-serving British prime minister in history will be paid £115,000 (over ₹1 crore) every year from the taxpayer’s money for the rest of her life. She was forced to quit after her economic programme shattered the country's reputation for financial stability and left many people poorer.
Also Read: Adar Poonawalla cheers for Rishi Sunak in UK prime minister campaign
The Conservative Party will elect Britain's fifth prime minister in six years by October 28. The contest is likely to pit Sunak against Penny Mordaunt. Johnson, who was ousted as prime minister in July, is unlikely to be a frontrunner.
According to The Times, Sunak's followers, who worry that Johnson could send the party into a "death spiral", are pleading with the former PM not to run. A second term for Johnson as UK prime minister, according to Sunak's supporters, would be "catastrophic" for the country's economy.
(With agency inputs)
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Business NewsNewsWorldAdvantage Rishi Sunak: Narayana Murthy’s son-in-law could be UK’s next prime minister
First Published:22 Oct 2022, 07:07 AM IST
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