On Saturday, three new high-ranking candidates to succeed the British prime Minister entered the race, including Savid Javid (ex-health minister), bringing the total to eight.
Apart from Mr Javid the candidates were Nadhim Zahawi, the new finance minister, and Jeremy Hunt, an ex-foreign and health minister who will be facing Boris Johnson in 2019.
They were preceded by the current British Secretary for State for Transport, while Defense Minister Ben Wallace chose not to appear.
Rishi Sunak, an ex-finance minister, is one of the heavyweights in the race. His potential successors are still revealing their plans two days after Boris Johnson's resignation.
The competition for the Conservative Party's head and Downing Street could last for several months, with the Tories holding the majority in the House of Commons.
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, announced his candidacy, promising a "strategic and restrained" government. He is an experienced MP, who worked in the cabinet of David Cameron in 2010 but is not among the favourites in the polls.
There were only three other candidates who also declared: the ex-secretary to State for Equality Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, and Tom Tugendhat.
Rishi Sunak (42), the former Minister for Finance, launched his candidacy Friday in a highly sexy video that fueled suspicions of a candidacy planned for a long time, and of betrayal. The clip was viewed seven million times on Saturday. Mr. Sunak promised to "restore faith", "rebuild economic conditions and reunite the nation."
Rishi Sunak was long a favourite to be the next to go to Downing Street in the event of Boris Johnson's death, but he found himself significantly weaker after learning about the tax advantages enjoyed by his wife. This allowed him to avoid paying tax on income earned overseas to the UK tax authorities.
In a United Kingdom that was plagued by high inflation (more than 9%), his response to the crisis of cost of living had been inadequate.
His candidacy was announced by several MPs, which apparently caused a rebound. A poll conducted on Friday by Channel 4 among 493 party members showed him as the Conservatives’ favorite candidate (25%), ahead Liz Truss (21%), who has yet to declare herself.
Rishi Sunak, together with Sajid Javid, the Health Minister, was one of those who resigned from government on Tuesday night. The political hemorhage caused by these two seemingly simultaneous resignations was felt by the hero of Brexit.
The party's state suggests that there is a lot of competition. Penny Mordaunt (Secretary of State for Foreign Trade), and Sajid Javid, who didn't declare themselves, are serious rivals.
On Saturday, Ben Wallace, Defense Minister, was another heavyweight and one of the favourites.
Taxation is an important part of competition in a time of crisis in the cost-of-living. There are up to 15 applications.
A member of the 1922 Committee responsible for internal organization of the party explained that the possibility of such an influx has led to an increase in the number and requirements of votes and sponsorships. This is so that the two finalists are known in two weeks before the summer truce, which starts on July 22.
According to British media reports, the final vote by Conservative Party members (roughly 160,000 votes in the 2019 last internal election) would take place at the beginning of the school year.
Boris Johnson announced his resignation and stated that he would remain in Downing Street until the next leader of the party is elected.
