(Bloomberg) --
Rishi Sunak, the ex-Chancellor who lost his bid for leadership against Liz Truss just last month, said he'll stand in the contest to replace her.
“I want to fix our economy, unite our party and deliver for our country,” Sunak said in a tweet on Sunday.
Sunak already has the support of over 100 Members of Parliament, giving him a certain spot in the race. He looks set to contest former prime minister Boris Johnson, who's yet to announce his candidacy but whose campaign team claims he also has more then 100 supporters.
Truss's resignation on Thursday triggered a leadership contest that will make her the shortest-ruling prime minister in British history when she exits next week. A direct runoff between Sunak and Johnson would risk reopening divisions in the Conservative Party since it was Sunak's resignation as chancellor in July that prompted Johnson's downfall days later.
Sunak has secured the support of Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch as well as Tom Tugendhat and Sajid Javid -- prominent Tories who didn't back him previously. Though Sunak is loathed by some Johnson loyalists, his reputation in the broader party has been boosted, because his repeated campaign warnings that Truss's economic policies would trigger market chaos were largely borne out.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
