In the aftermath of round one, Rishi Sunak takes the lead in the competition to succeed Boris Johnson as the UK's prime minister.
The Conservative Party's search for a new leader and potential Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is heating up, with Rishi Sunak emerging as the front-runner after the first round of voting. Sunak, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, received 88 ballots, maintaining a consistent lead among Conservative MPs since announcing his intent to compete for party leadership last week.
The voting process is set to continue, with the next round scheduled for Thursday. The race is narrowing down to a three-way contest between Sunak, Liz Truss, and Penny Mordaunt. Suella Braverman, another contender, is also in the running.
The Conservative Party is eager to rebuild its popular support, having been rocked by continuous scandal that led to the resignation of Boris Johnson. The party's membership base seems to be building momentum behind Mordaunt, with some members expressing optimism about her prospects.
Liz Truss, who received 50 votes in the first round, and other candidates such as Nadhim Zahawi and Jeremy Hunt were eliminated from the race. The next round of voting will provide more clarity on the finalists for the Conservative Party leadership. After the next round, the field of prospects will be further limited to a shorter list of finalists.
The Conservative Party, with 358 members of parliament participating in the leadership selection process, is anticipating an intense and competitive contest. The final decision on the Conservative Party leadership will be made by the party's membership base, with the new leader expected to be announced on September 5.
