Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is one of the frontrunners to replace outgoing PM Liz Truss just months after he stepped down himself, The New York Times reports.
Truss announced her resignation on Thursday, just 44 days after taking office, amid a growing economic crisis prompted by her push to cut taxes on the wealthy.
Truss is the shortest-serving prime minister in British history after replacing Johnson, who resigned after mass resignations from his cabinet over a series of scandals.
“We set out a vision for a low tax, high growth economy – that would take advantage of the freedoms of Brexit,” Truss said in a statement on Thursday. “I recognise though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party.”
Johnson among frontrunners:
Johnson is considered one of the early favorites to replace the PM that replaced him.
Johnson quit amid an ongoing investigation into claims that he misled lawmakers about violating pandemic lockdowns.
Johnson faced a vote of no-confidence and sank in opinion polls before he ultimately relented amid mass resignations and stepped down himself.
But Johnson remains popular among conservative party members who will ultimately make the decision.
Truss was elected by conservative party officials over a two-month process but the next PM may be elected by just the conservative members of Parliament.
Other contenders:
Other potential contenders for the job include Penny Mordaunt, a senior minister, and former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak.
Sunak was among the most prominent members of Johnson’s Cabinet to resign and mounted a race against Truss, ultimately falling short.
Sunak’s supporters are pushing him as a “safe” choice amid the financial crisis.
“Rishi is the experienced leader to sort the economy, lead effectively, get us back into political contention and unite the Party and country,” Bim Afolami, a Conservative lawmaker, wrote on Twitter.
