Expect fierce confrontation in coming weeks as British PM race hots up

Sunak, Truss face off in nationwide party vote, but neither has powerful support

- Jonathan Eyal

The leading candidates seeking to become Britain’s next prime minister are rushing to launch their national campaigns soon after winning the nomination of their ruling Conservative Party.

Former finance minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss emerged as the top candidates in a ballot of Conservative MPs.

They must now compete in a nationwide vote among an estimated 160,000 Conservative Party members, with the winner automatically becoming both party leader and Britain’s next prime minister, to be announced on Sept 5.

Speaking to the media soon after MPs in London announced their verdict on Wednesday evening, Mr Sunak, who hopes to become Britain’s first-ever leader of Indian descent, said he was “humbled” by his party’s nomination, which he claimed represented a “really strong result with a clear mandate from MPs”.

Meanwhile, Ms Truss, who said she was “absolutely delighted” by her nomination, claimed to look forward to the hustings that lie ahead and to be ready to “hit the ground running and get things done”, should she win the premiership, potentially becoming the third woman in her country’s history to hold the post.

However, neither of the two candidates enjoys powerful support. And their confrontation over the coming month is sure to be fierce.