Considered to be one of the favorites to succeed Boris Johnson, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced on Saturday that he would not stand for election to lead the “Tories”, the Conservative Party. Since Johnson’s resignation, four candidates have declared.
Who will replace Boris Johnson? The question has been on everyone’s mind across the Channel since “BoJo’s” resignation last Thursday. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who is among the favorites to succeed the former prime minister, announced on Saturday his decision not to stand for election to lead the Conservative Party.
“After careful consideration and discussion with my colleagues and my family, I have taken the decision not to enter the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party,” he wrote on Twitter, explaining that he wanted to concentrate on its current task and “ensure the country’s security”.
It has not been an easy choice to make, but my focus is on my current job and keeping this great country safe. I wish all the candidates the best of luck and hope that we quickly return to focusing on the issues that we have all been elected to address. 2/2
— Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) 9 July 2022
He expressed his gratitude to those who had “pledged” him their support and wished the best of luck to all the candidates. “I hope that we can quickly focus again on the subjects for which we were elected,” he added. Since the announcement on Thursday of Boris Johnson’s resignation, swept away by a series of scandals, four candidates have so far declared themselves.
Among them, ex-finance minister Rishi Sunak is currently the only heavyweight, but he risks being quickly joined by other current or former ministers, such as Liz Truss (foreign affairs) or Nadhim Zahawi (finance). Trade Secretary Penny Mordaunt and former Health Secretary Sajid Javid are strong candidates.