Who is Suella Braverman? Conservative contender who could succeed Boris Johnson

A Conservative leadership contest will take place in coming weeks after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Thursday he is resigning as the party's leader — though he will continue to serve as prime minister until a successor is elected by party members.

The attorney general of England, Suella Braverman, and lawmaker Tom Tugendhat have publicly announced they would seek the position.

Braverman, a lawmaker and barrister who became England’s attorney general in 2020, was the first to publicly announce she would seek to become the leader of Britain's Conservatives.


The 42-year-old told a television interviewer Wednesday she wanted to run for prime minister because she and her family, who arrived in Britain as immigrants, “owe a debt of gratitude to this country.”

Braverman is not well known among the public. Her announcement, made while she still served in Johnson's government, surprised many.

Braverman was a supporter of Johnson for years but said it was time for him to go.

A euroskeptic and Brexiteer, Braverman was elected to Parliament in 2015. Johnson appointed her as attorney general in February 2020.