Liz Truss’ tenure as Prime Minister seems unlikely to last long after a disastrous six weeks.
There are a number of contenders who could succeed.
The rishi sunak
In the summer election, Truss won easily because he promised to reduce taxes and regulations without cutting government spending.
Sunak, 42, repeatedly warned that extra borrowing would worsen decades-high inflation and market confidence.
As a result of Sunak’s success, Truss has replaced her previous finance minister with Jeremy Hunt.
During the recent leadership contest, Sunak secured the strongest support from Tory lawmakers and remains popular within the party.
He still has a net favorability rating of -18 out of the touted Truss alternatives, according to a YouGov poll released on Tuesday.
However, he is also now considered to be a figure of division among all political groups. For his role in ousting former prime minister Boris Johnson, many party members are unwilling to forgive him.
Mr. Johnson
He left office early last month after a revolt among his cabinet and Tory MPs sparked by Sunak’s resignation from his faltering government.
Johnson himself has repeatedly hinted at an eventual return, though few believed it would happen so soon.
His brand among the wider electorate was severely damaged by his scandal-tainted three years as Brexit figurehead.
Johnson expected Truss tenure to be disastrous
An opinion poll conducted by YouGov on Tuesday showed Truss to be far less popular than the 58-year-old. He is, however, unfavorably viewed by around two-thirds of those surveyed.
He gave a paid speech in the United States last week, but has not spoken publicly about the UK crisis since resigning.
Former top aide-turned-arch critic Dominic Cummings argued he backed Truss because he expected her tenure to be disastrous.
Mr. Hunt
In the past two Tory leadership elections, Truss’s new finance minister has run as a candidate. Despite finishing last in the first ballot of MPs this year, he lost the final run-off in 2019 to Johnson.
Former foreign secretary is now at the center of government policy, thanks to his appointment to the second most powerful post.
Former entrepreneur Hunt, who is popular with the centrist wing of the Conservative Party, may prove capable of unseating Truss.
According to current polling, the Tories are likely to lose a general election by a landslide if the 55-year-old wins.
The Penny Mordaunts and Truss Tenure
A run-off between Truss and Sunak was won by the current cabinet member by eight votes over Johnson.
During the 2016 “Leave” campaign, the former defense and trade minister was a prominent Brexit supporter.
Conservative colleagues criticized her in the recent leadership race, accusing her of being ineffective in previous government roles.
During the recent economic turmoil, Mordaunt was sent out to answer an urgent question in parliament in place of Truss this week.
As a result of accusations that Truss was in hiding, Mordaunt was forced to explain that Truss was “not under a desk.”
Sunak rejected an offer to join a unity ticket last week made by a senior ally of the 49-year-old because he did not want to be the junior partner.
