Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is the first to have the support of at least 100 Conservative MPs. This is clear from British media number. This will allow Sunak to take part in the Conservative Party leadership election and the battle to become the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

He hasn’t come forward yet, but there’s no doubt he will. In the previous leadership election, in August, Sunak came second behind Liz Truss. He had the support of parliamentarians, but party members chose Truss.

There is also a lot of speculation that Boris Johnson may want to join the fray. He got back early this morning from his vacation in the Dominican Republic and that only means one thing, according to British media. Commerce Secretary James Doddridge says Johnson told him he was “ready”. To date, he will have the support of no less than 53 party members. Johnson has been a Member of Parliament since late September, having resigned as Prime Minister shortly before.

Benny Mordaunt, the party’s leader in the House of Commons, was the first to take part in the fighting. She tweeted yesterday that she “guarantees a new beginning and will bring the party together.” Mordaunt has 22 Conservatives behind him so far.

She posted her campaign video on Twitter this morning. It begins in her hometown of Portsmouth:

So far, about half of the Conservative MPs have expressed a preference. Candidates have until Monday afternoon to support 100 party members.

Since there are 357 Conservatives in the House of Commons and each candidate must ensure a vote of 100 party members, there can be a maximum of three candidates. If Johnson and Mordaunt fail to have sufficient support, there will be no vote and Sunak will be appointed party leader and prime minister.

If there are three candidates, the first round of voting will follow on the Monday afternoon after the closing date and a second round in the evening. If there are only two candidates, only one vote is required.

Thereafter, members of the Conservative House of Commons will declare their preference for a candidate. This is a voting tip for the 170,000 party members, who choose the winner with their votes. The goal is to appoint a new prime minister before the end of the week.

New elections do not appear to be on the agenda, despite calls from the opposition Labor Party. These plans are for 2025 and must also be de-registered by the ruling party. The Conservative Party is not waiting for it. Opinion polls show that the Labor Party is currently ahead. Not surprising given the internal bickering and scandals in the Conservative Party, from Johnson’s coronavirus parties to Truss’ tax withdrawal plans.

The new prime minister has a difficult task ahead. On October 31, the medium-term tax plan was put on the agenda. The British economy is not doing well, inflation is high and fuel prices are rising.