Former British Deputy Minister for Equal Opportunities Kemi Badenoch wants to succeed Boris Johnson as party leader of the Conservative Party and therefore as prime minister. Badenoch, 42, announced her candidacy on Saturday.
Badenoch was one of nearly 60 government officials and employees who resigned last week with a view to removing Boris Johnson from office. Johnson eventually announced his resignation on Thursday, but will remain prime minister until a successor is found.
In an article in The Times, Badenoch called for change, declaring British opinion “exhausted by the empty rhetoric”. As Deputy Minister for Equal Opportunities, Badenoch was criticized by members of the government’s LGBTQ advisory committee for taking so long before the so-called “conversion therapy” was banned.
A timetable is expected on Monday for the election of the Conservative Party leadership. A winner would be announced in early October at the annual convention. Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, who announced his resignation on Tuesday evening, is one of the big favorites to succeed Johnson.
An opinion poll shows that Sunak is supported by a quarter of the Tories, Foreign Minister Lis Truss follows in second place with 21 percent. Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace closes the top three with 12 percent. Truss and Wallace have not (yet) applied for leadership.
In addition to Badenoch and Sunak, MP Tom Tugendhat and Attorney General Suella Braverman have also applied. The candidacy of Jeremy Hunt, former Minister of Health and Foreign Affairs, may also be added to this.
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