As Britain’s Boris Johnson takes hammering, potential successors sharpen their image
- UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s political future appears shaky after Conservative Party revolt, scandals and missteps
- Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak seen as potential challengers for leadership
As speculation mounts that embattled UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson could face a leadership challenge as early as the new year, potential contenders for the Conservative throne are sharpening up their image.
Johnson’s reputation is reeling following a series of scandals and missteps, including supporting the former MP Owen Patterson, who was found guilty by the House of Commons’ own standards commissioner of paid lobbying.
Revelations that Johnson allowed boozy Christmas parties in Downing Street last year, and even hosted a quiz when the country was locked down because of Covid-19, has caused fury even among his most loyal supporters.
The Tories on Thursday lost a by-election in North Shropshire in the West Midlands, a rural seat they have held since it was created in 1832. The Liberal Democrats’ Helen Morgan won the by-election with a majority of 5,925 over the conservatives, according to the Press Association.
Pressure from Johnson’s own colleagues will inevitably now intensify to prove he has a grip on government and can still be relied on to guide the party to victory in the next general election due by 2024.
