Rishi Sunak is the front-runner to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.Boris Johnson has yet to declare

Former UK Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak was Sunday’s frontrunner Conservative election Exchange Liz Truss as prime minister. Mr Snack has drawn the support of more than 100 Tory MPs to overtake his two main rivals, the former prime minister. boris johnson Former Cabinet Minister Penny Mordaunt.

But widespread uncertainty remained after British media reported Snak held late-night talks with Johnson on Saturday. Speculation grew that the pair could strike a deal to unite the divided ruling party.

The Conservatives have hastily ordered a campaign aimed at securing the nomination on Monday and appointing a new prime minister, the third of the year, within a week.

42 year old snack Runner-up behind Truss In this summer’s race for the Tory leadership to replace Johnson, who was ousted by a series of ethics scandals. On Sunday, he confirmed that he would be running again in the latest leadership contest.

Sunak has the support of at least 124 Conservative MPs, according to an unofficial tally compiled by the British press. This far exceeds his 100 nominations required to qualify.

“There is integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead, and we work every day to get the job done,” Sunak said in a statement.

Mr Johnson, who has yet to announce his candidacy, has the support of about 50 lawmakers, compared to about 23 for Mr Mordaunt, according to an unofficial tally.

Britain’s business secretary, Jacob Rhys-Mogg, told the BBC on Sunday that “clearly he will be on his feet” after speaking with Mr Johnson and returning to London from his vacation in the Dominican Republic on Saturday.

Mordaunt and Johnson will have 100 nominations by Monday afternoon if he confirms he will run. If all three meet the threshold, lawmakers vote to knock him out one, then give an index vote to his final two.

The party’s 172,000 members will vote online to decide between two finalists. A new leader will be selected by Friday.

Johnson, 58, could be in power again officially retired It wasn’t until early September that a deep division within the Conservative Party took many others by surprise. Supporters say he won the vote and has ample support from lawmakers, but many critics say Johnson’s alternate government would be devastating for the party and country. I am warning you that you are deaf.

Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker, a former Johnson supporter and an influential politician within the Conservative Party, has warned that Johnson’s return would be a “guaranteed disaster”. Johnson said he was still facing an investigation into whether he lied to parliament about breaking the government’s own coronavirus restrictions during a party in Downing Street during his tenure as prime minister.

If convicted, Johnson could be disqualified from Congress.

“Now is not the time for Boris and his style,” Baker told Sky News on Sunday. …and we can’t do it again.”

But Johnson has won the support of several senior Conservative Party leaders, including another former Treasury secretary, Nadim Zahawy.

“He repented of his mistakes and was honest. He learned from those mistakes how to run number 10 and country better,” Zahawi said.

Truss stepped down on Thursday after 45 tumultuous days, acknowledging his failure to deliver on his failed tax-cut economic policy.

Mr Sunak, who served as Treasury Secretary from 2020 until this summer, steered the UK’s struggling economy. coronavirus pandemicHe resigned in July in protest against Johnson’s leadership.

In the summer election campaign to replace Mr Johnson, Mr Sunak called the promises of immediate tax cuts by Truss and other rivals a reckless “fairy tale” and rising inflation must be brought under control first. claimed.

Tory voters favored Truss over Sunak, but he was proven right in September when Truss’ underfunded tax cut package sparked market turmoil.

Dozens of Britain’s 357 Conservative MPs have yet to publicly announce who they would support as Truss’ replacement.