UK FM Truss joins 11-strong leader race

UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss has joined the race to succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister and leader of the ruling Conservative party, as the fractious contest focused on tax.

Truss, 46, announced her candidacy in the Daily Telegraph newspaper on Sunday evening, saying she had "a clear vision of where we need to be, and the experience and resolve to get us there".

The bid by Truss, seen as a frontrunner in the Tory leadership contest, followed that of former defence minister Penny Mordaunt as the race expanded to 11 candidates.

Mordaunt, 49, an ex-navy reservist who has also held several senior ministerial roles, is not among the favourites to succeed Johnson in recent polls of Tory party members ultimately set to choose their new leader.

But such contests are notoriously unpredictable, and with more than a dozen lawmakers from multiple factions of the ruling party potentially set to run, political commentators say few contenders can be discounted.

READ MORE: Report: Jeremy Hunt, Sajid Javid to join UK leadership race

Crowded field

The early favourite is former finance minister Rishi Sunak, who launched his campaign on Friday after helping to kickstart the cabinet revolt that led to Johnson's forced resignation Thursday. He is now drawing early fire from Johnson loyalists and rival candidates.

Sunak and former health minister Sajid Javid –– who has also declared his candidacy –– both resigned late on Tuesday, prompting dozens of more junior colleagues to follow suit.

That forced Johnson to then quit as Tory leader 36 hours later.

But the 58-year-old leader, whose three-year premiership has been defined by scandal, the country's departure from the European Union and the Covid pandemic, said he would stay on until his successor is selected.

Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who finished runner-up to Johnson in the last contest in 2019, announced late on Saturday he will stand again.

Current Finance Minister Nadhim Zahawi –– only appointed to the post on Tuesday –– and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps have also launched bids.

They join attorney general and arch-Brexiteer Suella Braverman, the relatively unknown former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch and backbench Tory MP Tom Tugendhat on the growing candidate list.

Another Tory lawmaker, Rehman Chishti, announced his leadership bid on Sunday evening to take the number of contenders to 11.

But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, who has impressed in the role and been one of Tory members' favourites, said on Saturday he would not stand after a discussion with colleagues and family.

Taxation is already a key dividing line in the race, as Britain faces the toxic combination of high inflation and rampant cost-of-living increases alongside stagnant growth and relatively high tax rates.

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