Rishi Sunak heads list of eight Tories vying to replace UK PM Boris Johnson

London: Rishi Sunak, whose resignation last week helped trigger Boris Johnson's downfall, heads a final list of eight candidates seeking to become the next Conservative Party leader and UK prime minister, to be announced on September 5.

The contenders needed the backing of 20 Tory MPs to secure a place in Wednesday's first round of balloting. Senior Conservative lawmaker Graham Brady confirmed the names at a briefing in Westminster.

On a day of moves in Westminster, the high-profile candidate Grant Shapps withdrew and threw his support behind Sunak, who has the most publicly-declared support from Tory MPs. Former Health Secretary Sajid Javid also pulled out, as did the relatively unknown Rehman Chishti.


Priti Patel Opts Out
Home Secretary Priti Patel announced she would not stand, a move seen as a boost for Foreign Secretary Liz Truss's bid to be the preferred candidate of the low-tax, Thatcherite wing of the Conservative Party.

Conservative MPs are due to cast their ballots from 1:30 p.m., with the result of the first round to be announced at 5 p.m. The candidate with the least support is knocked out, along with anyone receiving fewer than 30 votes.

The second round of voting is scheduled for Thursday, with further rounds next week following television debates arranged for the weekend.

The Conservatives want the contest to be as rapid as possible, given the longer it goes on, the more the candidates' attacks on each may impact the views of the wider electorate. The aim is to have a final two before July 21.

At that point, the process shifts to the estimated 175,000 grassroots party members who get the final say in who enters No. 10 Downing Street in September. In that phase, it's not Sunak but Trade minister Penny Mordaunt who currently leads the way, according to a ConservativeHome survey. Mordaunt will formally launch her leadership bid on Wednesday.

Sunak Pledges Tax Cuts...
So far, the debate between the leadership candidates has focused on tax cuts, with many candidates trying to out-do each other in a bid to appeal to the Tory right, just as Johnson tried to do whenever his position came under pressure.

But Sunak used his campaign launch to hit back at his Tory rivals, who he said were combining unrealistic tax pledges with spending promises.

"Once we have gripped inflation, I will get the tax burden down," Sunak said in a speech in London on Tuesday. "It is a question of 'when', not 'f'."

...refuses to attack Johnson
Sunak refused to criticise Prime Minister Boris Johnson, despite having helped trigger his dramatic downfall.

Officially launching his campaign, Sunak, who is seen as one of the frontrunners, called Johnson "one of the most remarkable people I've met".

"Whatever some commentators may say, he has a good heart," he told cheering supporters, after one Johnson ally accused Sunak of being a treacherous "snake". Agencies