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Possible Truss successors Sunak and Johnson: 100 supporters wanted
Photo: Jessica Taylor / UK Parliament / AFP
Liz Truss has thrown in the towel after just 45 days in office.
She will go down in history as the prime minister with the shortest term in office since the constitutional monarchy came into existence in Great Britain.
By the end of October it should be clear who will take over her job.
In order to be able to stand for election, Tory MPs have to overcome a high hurdle this time: At least 100 supporters from their own ranks are needed to become the new prime minister.
That's what Tory MP Graham Brady said in the evening about the party's internal succession plan.
The candidates can therefore seek this support until Monday noon.
Since there are only 357 Conservative MPs, a maximum of three candidates can be nominated.
After that, MPs must either agree on two candidates, which the 170,000 party members will decide on in an online vote by October 28 - or they directly choose a candidate who moves into Downing Street.
“We've set the bar high, but it's doable for any serious candidate (...),” Brady explained.
Potential contenders for Truss' successor include former Treasury Secretary Rishi Sunak, who previously lost to Truss in the race for the post, and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who resigned on Wednesday.
House leader Penny Mordaunt and Defense Secretary Ben Wallace could also run.
According to one report, even Boris Johnson could attempt a comeback.
According to The Times, Truss's predecessor is considering returning in the name of "the national interest."
Truss resigned as Prime Minister in the afternoon after just six weeks and a government crisis that she had fueled.
The tax breaks planned by Truss' government had triggered financial chaos, and public pressure forced Truss to end the project.
Truss had shown himself defiant at question time in parliament on Wednesday, but shortly afterwards the conservative head of government lost her second cabinet member within days with the probably forced resignation of Interior Minister Suella Braverman.
Truss only succeeded Boris Johnson at the beginning of September, who resigned after several scandals and scandals under pressure from his own party.
After the tax fiasco, resentment and resistance against her grew in her party.
According to polls, the Conservatives are about 30 percentage points behind the opposition Labor Party.
svs/AFP