Rishi Sunak is set to be the next prime minister following Penny Mordaunt’s withdrawal from the leadership race.
Mordaunt released a statement on Twitter that she had pulled out of the contest to lead the Conservative Party.
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 committee, then confirmed that Sunak will be the new leader of the Tory party and hence prime minister.
Mordaunt said: “Our Party is our membership. Whether we are elected representatives, activists, fundraisers, or supporters. We all have a stake in who our leader is.
“These are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest, it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today. They have taken this decision in good faith for the good of the country.”
Sunak will become the United Kingdom’s first British Asian prime minister.
Mordaunt added: “This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi has my full support.
“I am proud of the campaign we ran and grateful to all those, across all sides of our party, who gave me their backing. We all owe it to the country, to each other and to Rishi to unite and work together for the good of the nation. There is much work to be done.”
In his first statement following the announcement, Sunak said: “It is the greatest privilege of my life to be able to serve the party I love and give back to the country I owe so much to.
“The United Kingdom is a great country, but there is no doubt that we face a profound economic challenge.
“We now need stability and unity, and I will make it my utmost priority to bring our party and our country together, because that is the only way that we will overcome the challenges we face and build a better, more prosperous future for our children and our grandchildren.
“I pledge that I will serve you with integrity and humility, and I will work day in day out to deliver for the British people.”
Main image: Sunak in 2020. Credit: HM Treasury
