Europe 1 with AFP
Considered one of the favorites to succeed Boris Johnson, British Defense Minister Ben Wallace announced on Saturday that he would not stand for election to lead the “Tories”, the Conservative party. Since Johnson’s resignation, four candidates have declared themselves.
Who to replace Boris Johnson? The question has been on everyone’s mind across the Channel since the resignation of “BoJo” on Thursday. British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, given among the favorites to succeed the former Prime Minister, announced on Saturday his decision not to stand for election to lead the Conservative Party.
“After careful consideration and discussion with my colleagues and my family, I have made the decision not to enter the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party,” he wrote on Twitter, explaining that he wanted to concentrate on its current task and “ensure the security of the country”.
It has not been an easy choice to make, but my focus is on my current job and keeping this great country safe. I wish the very best of luck to all candidates and hope we swiftly return to focusing on the issues that we are all elected to address. 2/2
— Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) July 9, 2022
Expressing his gratitude to those who had “pledged” him their support, he wished good luck to all the candidates. “I hope we can quickly focus again on the issues for which we were elected,” he added. Since the announcement Thursday of the resignation of Boris Johnson, swept away by a series of scandals, four candidates have so far declared themselves.
Ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak is among them for the moment the only heavyweight, but he risks being quickly joined by other current or former ministers, such as Liz Truss (Foreign Affairs) or Nadhim Zahawi (Finance ). Trade secretary Penny Mordaunt and former health minister Sajid Javid are strong contenders.
Source: Europe1
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