Who is in the running to replace Liz Truss as prime minister?

Published

2 years ago

October 22, 2022

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Just two days ago Liz Truss declared she was a “fighter, not a quitter” in a defiant exchange with the leader of the opposition – a little over 24 hours later she had resigned.

Here, Sky News looks at the runners and riders to replace the prime minister.

Live politics updates as third cabinet member backs Johnson

The leader of the Commons was the first to announce a bid to become the next prime minister.

“I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest,” she said in a post on social media.

“I’m running to be the leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister – to unite our country, deliver our pledges and win the next GE.”

She finished in third place in this summer’s Tory leadership race before she backed Ms Truss’s bid.

The former defence secretary caused a stir at the Tory conference earlier this month when she said the party’s “comms is s***”.

In messages shared in Conservative Party WhatsApp groups, leaked to Sky News, Tory MP Crispin Blunt called for Mr Sunak and Ms Mordaunt to take over.

“Step forward Rishi and Penny, with our support and encouragement in the interests of us all,” he wrote.

Ms Mordaunt was sent to the Commons on behalf of Ms Truss to answer an urgent question on the sacking of former chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng on Monday. She denied that Ms Truss was hiding “under a desk”.

Former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom is among those who have publicly declared their backing of Ms Mordaunt.

The former chancellor, who was runner-up to Ms Truss in the Tory leadership race, is favourite with the bookmakers to replace her.

He warned his rival her tax-cutting plans would send the economy into freefall, accusing her of “fairytale economics” as she promised unfunded tax cuts.

Following the fallout from the mini-budget, supporters of Mr Sunak believe he has been vindicated. One MP who supported him in the leadership race told The Telegraph: “Everything he said has come to pass.”

Mr Sunak won every voting round among MPs in the Tory leadership race but there are question marks over whether he could reunite the party, having been seen to have played a key role in Boris Johnson’s exit as PM.

Many MPs have come out in support of the former chancellor, the most notable being former deputy PM Dominic Raab and former environment secretary George Eustice.

In his farewell address as PM, Mr Johnson fuelled speculation about a future return to frontline politics despite promising his “most fervent support” to his successor Ms Truss.

Mr Johnson compared himself to Roman statesman Cincinnatus, who battled against invasion before returning to his farm. According to tradition, Cincinnatus later returned to serve a second term.

Some Tory MPs are reportedly openly suggesting the party asks Mr Johnson to return to Downing Street, despite being ousted just three months ago.

Former culture secretary and ally of the former PM, Nadine Dorries, is one of those openly calling for Mr Johnson’s return.

“Only one MP has a mandate from party members and from the British public – a mandate with an 80 seat majority. Boris Johnson,” she said.

Jacob Rees-Mogg was the first cabinet minister to publicly declare his backing for the former prime minister, posting on social media: “I’m backing Boris #BorisorBust.”

In ruling himself out of the race, Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, said he is “leaning towards Boris Johnson”.

Levelling Up Secretary Simon Clarke has also expressed his support for Mr Johnson’s return.

Sky News also understands former home secretary Priti Patel will back Mr Johnson if he chooses to run.

Although multiple Tory MPs have expressed their support for a Johnson comeback, he remains a divisive figure.

Foreign Office minister Jesse Norman said selecting Mr Johnson as Conservative leader would be “absolutely catastrophic”.

Sir Roger Gale, the senior backbencher, reminded voters in a tweet that the former prime minister, who resigned in a mire of sleaze, remains under investigation by the Commons privileges committee for potentially misleading the House over partygate.

If found guilty, Mr Johnson could face recall proceedings and potentially lose his seat in a by-election if he receives a suspension of 10 days or more.

The Liberal Democrats are calling for Mr Johnson to be blocked from standing as leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister.

Ms Braverman was the first to declare she was running to be the next Conservative Party leader in the summer, praised as a figurehead of the right of the party for her hardline views on Brexit and for denouncing “woke nonsense”.

She threw her hat in the ring for the Tory leadership even before Mr Johnson had officially resigned.

“I love this country. My parents came here with absolutely nothing and it was Britain that gave them hope, security and opportunity and afforded me incredible opportunities in education and my career,” she told ITV at the time.

“I owe a debt of gratitude to this country and to serve as prime minister would be the greatest honour so yes I will try.”

After her shock resignation as home secretary on Wednesday for sharing secure information through a private email, Ms Braverman lashed out at Ms Truss’s “tumultuous” premiership and accused the government of “breaking key pledges” – including on immigration policy.

Ms Braverman, a former attorney general, only became home secretary on 6 September when Ms Truss brought her in to replace Priti Patel.

Her tenure was controversial, having accused Tory critics, who successfully forced Ms Truss into U-turning over plans to scrap the top rate of income tax, of a “coup”.

A source close to rising star Kemi Badenoch has suggested to Sky News that she is set to stand in the leadership contest.

“Now that the prime minister has announced her resignation, the party must unite around a new leader who restores trust in politics and delivers good government for the British people,” the source said.

“Kemi is in conversations with colleagues about how best to achieve this.”

Ms Badenoch stood in the Conservative leadership race over the summer, coming fourth behind Mr Sunak, Ms Mordaunt and Ms Truss.

Little known beyond Tory circles at the start of the race, the former equalities minister was a favourite among members to the right of the party.

Her summer campaign focused on cultural issues which she said had divided the party in recent years.

Sky News understands the current justice secretary is taking soundings on whether to stand in the leadership election.

It is understood he could stand on a possible platform of being a pragmatist and a unifier.

Mr Lewis did not stand in the last leadership election, instead backing outgoing PM Liz Truss.

He has also served as Northern Ireland secretary.

World

Christmas market suspect may have been ‘dissatisfied with treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany’: Here’s what we know

Published

4 mins ago

December 21, 2024

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Christmas market suspect may have been 'dissatisfied with treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany': Here's what we know

The suspect in the attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg appeared to be dissatisfied with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany, a prosecutor has said.

On Friday evening, a car was driven at speed into visiting crowds in the central German city.

Five people have died so far – including a nine-year-old child and four adults – with at least 200 more injured, according to authorities. Of those injured, 41 are said to be seriously hurt.

The suspect – who was arrested at the scene – was a 50-year-old Saudi citizen who worked as a doctor and arrived in Germany in 2006, premier of Saxony-Anhalt state Reiner Haseloff said.

He has been named as Taleb A in German media.

Police director Tom-Oliver Langhans told a news conference on Saturday the attack had left the city “very alarmed”.

He added that officers arrested the suspect three minutes after the first emergency calls were made from the market.

Prosecutor Horst Walter Nopens said the motive behind the attack appeared to be “dissatisfaction with the treatment of refugees from Saudi Arabia and how they are being treated in Germany”.

German interior minister Nancy Faeser has said the suspect was Islamophobic.

The suspect has described himself as an “ex-Muslim” who sought asylum after receiving death threats for denouncing his faith.

His social media pages, which he posted on in the hours leading up to the attack, promote anti-Islam views – and claim Germany is allowing the “Islamisation of Europe”.

The suspect, who says he works as a psychiatrist at a government hospital, has appeared in various media reports about his efforts to help other former Muslims flee Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.

Tamara Zieschang, the state’s interior minister, told reporters the suspect had been practising medicine in Bernburg, around 25 miles south of Magdeburg.

He has a website that he told the BBC in 2019 has helped “hundreds of people” seek asylum overseas.

The homepage reads: “My advice: do not seek asylum in Germany.”

In videos with voiceovers in English, he claims he is being pursued by German police, who “sent someone carrying a knife to steal a USB stick from my mailbox”.

Tweets supporting Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson

Another tweet criticises a commentator for saying X owner Elon Musk and far-right activist Tommy Robinson should be arrested.

He claims they “cited Germany as a shining example of media censorship”, and adds: “My experience in Germany leaves no doubt – they actually censor victims.”

German terrorist expert Professor Peter Neumann described the suspect’s profile as unusual.

He says he “loves the AfD [Alternative for Germany] and wants to punish Germany for tolerance towards Islamists”, the director of King’s College London’s International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation wrote on X.

Professor Neumann said: “After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore… that really wasn’t on my radar.”

World

Fury and questions in Mayotte as residents struggle to recover after Cyclone Chido

Published

4 mins ago

December 21, 2024

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Fury and questions in Mayotte as residents struggle to recover after Cyclone Chido

The doors of the white van are thrown open. Dozens of armed French police jump on board, their colleagues on the ground form a human chain and get to work.

The van is carrying precious cargo. Water. Small plastic bottles stacked roof high and van deep.

It’s chaotic.

Orders are being shouted in French and Chimaore, the language spoken by Mayotte’s African community.

Security is high. The gendarmes are backed up by armed local police.

Local residents are angry. That anger could easily turn to violence.

It’s why a 10pm curfew remains in place across the island. One resident described the situation as “volcanic”.

Cyclone Chido tore through Mayotte on Sunday, but this is the first water delivery Ouangani has received since Saturday.

Nobody understands why.

‘There’s no word and no one has water’

Arriving at the distribution centre just after the water is loaded on to another van for delivery to nearby villages is Ouangani’s mayor, a young, former English teacher who speaks multiple languages.

He is considered and thoughtful when describing the situation facing his country.

“It’s not sufficient,” he tells me. “There’s no word and no one has water.”

“The authorities weren’t prepared,” he adds. “There’s not only a water problem, it’s food, electricity. Nothing on the island has been done.”

He then delivers a dire warning of “people starving”.

I ask him who he thinks is to blame? He says that everyone is responsible.

“I cannot imagine that with all the means we have with technology, that they couldn’t have seen this coming,” he says.

But this region is not remote. It’s only an hour-long drive south of the capital on one winding road.

That’s why there is so much fury.

The man who challenged French President Emmanuel Macron is from here.

“Where is our water?!’, he demanded of the leader on his visit to the Indian Ocean island.

This van load of water is supposed to serve between three to five villages in the area.

That’s a population of anywhere between six and 12,000 people. Nobody knows for sure because of the problem with undocumented migrants.

We follow the van to the first drop-off.

The vehicle pulls up and drops off 10 to 20 crates of half-litre plastic bottles. Each crate has 12 small bottles. People have been waiting. They’re mostly women. Each one grabs a pack and disappears.

Within minutes it’s all gone.

Some more people show up seconds later. Their anger at missing out is obvious. “What’s the point?!” a man shouts.

‘It’ll only last about one or two hours’

Fundi has been lucky enough to get some water.

“We only just received aid now, I really don’t think that’s good enough,” she says.

They were just outside when they saw the van arrive with the water. Pure luck.

“Usually communication is good, but I don’t know why they came unannounced like that today,” she says.

But it’s not enough, Fundi explains: “Twelve bottles of water that are only 500ml, for a family? That’s really very little, it’ll only last about one to two hours.”

It’s no wonder, Fundi has a family of seven living under one roof.

World

US says it has killed Islamic State leader Abu Yusif in Syria airstrike

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4 mins ago

December 21, 2024

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US says it has killed Islamic State leader Abu Yusif in Syria airstrike

The US says it has killed Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Yusif in Syria.

US Central Command Forces (Centcom) said it carried out an airstrike targeting Yusif – who also goes by Mahmud – in the eastern province of Deir ez Zor.

They said the area was previously controlled by the Syrian regime and Russian forces before the recent fall of Bashar al Assad.

Another IS operative was also killed in the strike, according to US officials.

Centcom commander, General Michael Erik Kurilla, said: “As stated before, the United States – working with allies and partners in the region – will not allow ISIS to take advantage of the current situation in Syria and reconstitute.

“IS has the intent to break out of detention the over 8,000 ISIS operatives currently being held in facilities in Syria.

“We will aggressively target these leaders and operatives, including those trying to conduct operations external to Syria.”

IS militants conquered parts of Iraq and Syria in 2014, taking advantage of the latter’s civil war to claim land before self-declaring a caliphate.

At the height of its power, millions of people lived under the rule of IS, with the militants enforcing an extremist interpretation of Islamic law and carrying out mass killings of minority groups.