Former Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, is considering a Tory leadership bid as the race to succeed Boris Johnson heats up following his resignation.

Allies claim Mr. Hunt is attracting a lot of support from Tory colleagues. Senior Backbencher, Tom Tugendhat, and Attorney General, Suella Braverman have already announced plans to stand.

The former Health Secretary, Jeremy Hunt urged Tory Members of Parliament to oust the Prime Minister in a party confidence vote last month (June 2022) but has not publicly commented on his leadership ambitions until Mr. Johnson quit as party leader. Mr. Hunt, also a Foreign Secretary, ran for the Conservative leadership in 2019 and made the final two, before being beaten by Mr. Johnson in the ballot of party members.

In the same light, Chairman of the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, Tom Tugendhat, launched his leadership bid by writing in the Daily Telegraph on Friday, July 8, 2022, promising tax cuts and “new energy and ideas” for the government. “I have served before, in the military, and now in Parliament. Now, I hope to answer the call once again as Prime Minister,” says Mr. Tugendhat, who has been a prominent critic of Mr. Johnson.

Living with the New Norm

Mr. Johnson was forced out as Tory leader after a cabinet revolted over his leadership, but wants to stay on as PM until the party chooses a successor. But opposition parties and some Tories want him to go now, which appears unlikely to happen. In that regard, he appointed a new cabinet line-up, replacing Ministers that resigned in protest of his leadership, and told them he will not ask them to make major policy decisions until a new leader is in place.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Treasurer of the 1922 Committee of Backbench Tory Members of Parliament, said in an “ideal world”, Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab, is supposed to take over for a few weeks, but “that ship has sailed”, adding that “We must now live with the fact that Boris Johnson will be Prime Minister until a successor can be voted on”.

The Plans Ahead

A timetable for the Tory leadership race is due to be confirmed next week and the new Prime Minister is expected to be in position by September.

The Labour Party has threatened to try and unseat the Prime Minister immediately through a vote of no confidence, although this would need considerable support among Conservatives to become a reality. Labour’s Deputy Leader, Angela Rayner, told reporters that “the fact he’s trying to cling on for the next couple of months is completely unacceptable”.

Other Contenders

Attorney General, Mrs. Braverman already confirmed she will stand, while former Brexit Minister, Mr. Baker said he was “seriously” considering running after being asked by people to do so.

Reports also indicate that Sajid Javid, the former Health Secretary, and Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, who both revolted against Mr. Johnson, are also considering putting their hats into the ring. Meanwhile, Conservative Members of Parliament, Rehman Chishti and John Baron disclosed to the media that they are considering running for leadership of the party.

“We need leaders who best reflect modern Britain and can provide solutions to the challenges our nation is facing now,” says Mr. Chishti, who doubles as a former Barrister and UK Trade Envoy to Pakistan. Others tipped to run include Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, former Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace. In a tweet, Mr. Wallace addressed speculation “I’m going to be next Prime Minister” by jokingly sharing a picture of an American former basketball player who shares his name. “I’d vote for you!,” Mr. Wallace wrote.