UK: New Poll Says Rishi Sunak Favourite Within Tories to Succeed Boris Johnson
Head-to-head, he is the only one from the Conservative Party projected to defeat Keir Starmer with a one-point lead.
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A polling company's survey conducted on Wednesday and Thursday, suggests that former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is in the lead to become the next prime minister of Britain.
Additionally, when put to head-to-head with the Labour Party's Keir Starmer (Leader of the Opposition), he is the only leader of the Conservative Party projected to defeat him with a one-point lead.
The poll was conducted by JL Partners with 2,028 British adults participating in it.
The Indian-origin politician's popularity has dropped due to the controversy surrounding his wife Akshata Murthy's non-domicile status in the UK.
Sunak's failure to curb inflation and to resolve the cost-of-living crisis also contributed to the fall in his ratings.
After his resignation from Johnson's Cabinet, however, his ratings are gradually back on the rise, and on Sunak's heels within the party is former Health Secretary Sajid Javid.
There are others as well who are going to make it a close race. Ben Wallace, the defence secretary, is yet to divulge whether he is interested contesting or not, but analysts give him a decent chance of winning.
According to a betting odds tracking website called "Oddschecker," the Minister of State for Trade Policy, Penny Mordaunt, is leading the race to be Johnson's successor.
You can read about the full list of potential contenders here.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson resigned as the leader of the Conservative Party on 7 July, leaving a vacuum in leadership that will determine the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.
His decision to quit comes in response to a slew of resignations from multiple ministers in his old Cabinet (he has already appointed a new one), Tory MPs, and junior aides as well.
By Monday, Johnson said in his speech, a timetable for his departure and a successor should be finalised by the committee of senior Conservative lawmakers.
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