No clear front-runner in race to replace Boris Johnson as Prime Minister

The starting gun has fired in the contest to replace Boris Johnson in No 10, but there is no obvious front-runner.

Mr Johnson will remain as Prime Minister until a successor is in place, expected to be by the time of the Conservative Party conference in October.

Here are some of the potential contenders to be the new Tory leader, in alphabetical order:

– Steve Baker

He told Times Radio that people are asking him to do it, and it would be “dismissive and disrespectful” if he did not heed expressions of support, though he said he regards the prospect with “something akin to dread”.

Mr Baker successfully plotted to oust Theresa May as prime minister but, despite his credentials as a Brexit die-hard, he is not a household name.

– Suella Braverman

Previously loyal to the departing premier, she told Peston on ITV that he had handled matters “appallingly” in recent days and “the balance has tipped now in favour of saying that the Prime Minister – it pains me to say it – but it’s time to go”.

Ms Braverman, who was first elected as an MP in 2015, is regarded as something of an outsider for the leadership given the party grandees already tipped to be in the running.

A Suella Braverman for PM Twitter account has sprung up, with Tory MP Sir Desmond Swayne becoming the first to tweet his support for her bid.

– Sir Robert Buckland

The new Secretary of State for Wales has declined to rule out running as Tory leader.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme on Thursday whether he was considering throwing his hat in the ring, the former justice secretary said: “Who knows.”

“It’s an unlikely scenario but I want to see the next prime minister as a person who embodies the values that I believe in,” he said, emphasising his credentials as a One Nation Conservative.

– Jeremy Hunt

Mr Hunt is widely expected to make a fresh bid for the leadership, having been runner-up to Mr Johnson in 2019, and is among the early favourites with bookmakers.

As chairman of the Commons Health Committee, he has used his position to make a number of critical interventions on the Government’s handling of the pandemic, although his strong support for lockdown measures will not have pleased all Tory MPs.

– Sajid Javid

State school-educated Mr Javid – known as “The Saj” in some circles – is the son of a bus driver who arrived in England from Pakistan in the 1960s, and held ministerial roles in housing, business and culture before becoming chancellor, and then health secretary in the middle of the pandemic.

Mr Javid made it to the final four in the contest to replace Theresa May as Tory leader in 2019, but dropped out and subsequently endorsed Mr Johnson. He told reporters after his resignation on Tuesday evening that he was looking forward to spending time with his family – but for how long?

– Penny Mordaunt

Ms Mordaunt has many strings to her bow – she is a Royal Navy reservist, the current trade minister and a former reality TV contestant, having appeared on the Tom Daley-fronted diving show Splash.

She played a prominent role in the Leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum, and has previously reportedly enjoyed the backing of Dame Andrea Leadsom among others.

– Rishi Sunak

His calm and measured delivery during televised Covid briefings, and his viral declaration of love for a popular soft drink, will have endeared him to those perhaps not always plugged in to the political goings-on, as well as his resignation on matters of principle on Tuesday.

But his stock took a tumble more recently following disclosures that his wife had non-dom status for tax purposes, and criticism that he was too slow to respond to the cost-of-living crisis.

– Liz Truss

Her hard line on Ukraine, insisting Russian forces must be driven from the country, and threats to tear up the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU play well with sections of the party.

Away from politics, Ms Truss’s flair for social media has seen her offer an insight into life outside Westminster by updating her Instagram account with pictures of her relaxing at the beach, or behind the scenes at official events, though her passions combined to bizarre effect in 2014 when her improbably enthusiastic speech about opening pork markets in Beijing went viral.

– Tom Tugendhat

He repeated his position in Friday’s Daily Telegraph, saying he was putting together a “broad coalition” offering a “clean start”.

The former soldier wrote in the paper: “I have served before – in the military, and now in Parliament. Now I hope to answer the call once again as prime minister.”

Tory MP Damian Green has previously said he would back Mr Tugendhat in any leadership contest, telling Sky News: “You can take it that Tom is going to run.”

A Remainer in 2016, the former soldier has been a trenchant critic of Mr Johnson – a stance that would appear to have cost him any chance of ministerial preferment under the current leadership.

He recently sought to distance himself from a call by his fellow Remainer, Defence Committee chairman Tobias Ellwood, for the UK to re-join the EU single market.

– Ben Wallace

Mr Wallace, who served in the Scots Guards, remains a key voice in the UK’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and this increased exposure could assist any leadership bid.

He has consistently supported Mr Johnson, but has pressed the case for increased defence spending.

– Nadhim Zahawi

Indeed, he was the man trusted to take on the broadcast round of interviews on Wednesday morning, on his first full day in his new job as Chancellor, before later urging the PM to resign.

Iraqi-born Mr Zahawi was a successful businessman and came to wider prominence as vaccines minister during the pandemic where he was credited with playing a key part in the successful rollout of the jab.