Rishi Sunak, former chancellor of the exchequer of the United Kingdom, was endorsed by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and transport minister Grant Shapps on Tuesday, 12 July.
"I know that Rishi has got what it takes. He's got what it takes to provide the leadership that we need to steer the country through tough economic times," Raab said, introducing Sunak at the launch of his campaign event, reported by Reuters.
On the other hand, Shapps announced that he was abandoning his bid for leadership, while endorsing Sunak at the same time.
"Huge thanks to my team for helping to pull together my leadership bid in literally no time! Amongst a field of brilliant candidates I've spoken to @RishiSunak who I believe has the competence and experience to lead this country," his tweet read.
Once the clear favourite to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the Indian-origin politician's popularity has dropped this year 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. His campaign slogan is "Ready for Rishi."
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