Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Who could replace UK's under-fire premier Liz Truss?

Sunak, 42, repeatedly warned that Truss’ plans to fund the proposals through extra borrowing were reckless and could worsen decades-high inflation as well as market confidence in the UK.

Who could replace UK's under-fire premier Liz Truss?

UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has vowed to lead Britain's Conservatives into the next election - due within two years - but after a disastrous six weeks in Downing Street many doubt, she will remain leader long. Here are the main contenders who could take over.

Rishi Sunak


Truss easily beat the former chancellor of the exchequer in this summer's Tory leadership contest, winning party members over with promises to slash taxes and regulations without curbing government spending.

Sunak, 42, repeatedly warned that her plans to fund the proposals through extra borrowing were reckless and could worsen decades-high inflation as well as market confidence in the UK.

Now that he has been proved entirely right -- and Truss has scrapped her plans and replaced her previous finance minister with the Sunak-backing Jeremy Hunt -- some think he is the best-placed Conservative MP to replace Truss.

Sunak garnered the support of the largest number of Tory lawmakers in the early rounds of the recent leadership contest and is thought to still enjoy considerable support within the parliamentary party.

A new YouGov poll on Tuesday found he has the best ratings of the touted alternatives to Truss -- albeit still with an overall net favourability rating of -18.

But he is also now viewed as a divisive figure. Many party members, who get the final say on who leads the party, are unwilling to forgive him for his role in ousting ex-prime minister Boris Johnson.

Boris Johnson

The former premier left office early last month after a revolt among his cabinet and Tory MPs, sparked by the resignation of Sunak and others from his faltering government following months of controversies.

Encouraged by several strong hints from Johnson himself, speculation has swirled ever since that he would attempt an eventual comeback -- though few thought that could be feasible this quickly.

The ever-ebullient Brexit figurehead remains popular with a section of Conservative MPs and the party but his brand among the wider electorate was severely damaged by his scandal-tainted three-year tenure.

Tuesday's YouGov poll showed the 58-year-old is far more popular than Truss. Yet around two-thirds of those asked had an unfavourable opinion of him.

Johnson has kept a low profile since resigning, giving a paid speech in the United States last week but no indications of his views on the current crises gripping the UK.

He was thought to favour Truss in the summer leadership contest -- although his former top aide-turned-arch-critic Dominic Cummings argued that was because he expected her tenure to be disastrous and short-lived, paving the way for his return.

Jeremy Hunt

Truss's new finance minister has been a candidate in the Tories' past two leadership contests. He lost in the final run-off in 2019 to Johnson and finished in last place in the first ballot of MPs this year.

But his appointment to the second most powerful job in government has returned the former foreign secretary from the political wilderness to centre-stage, and his assured performance so far has bolstered his standing.

As Conservative MPs plot Truss's ousting, some suggest Hunt -- an ex-entrepreneur who garners most support from the centrist wing of the party -- could emerge as a competent unity candidate.

But the 55-year-old would enjoy even less of a democratic mandate than most of the rival contenders, probably heightening calls for a general election which -- based on current polling -- the Tories would lose by a landslide.

Penny Mordaunt

The current cabinet member was an early favourite to succeed Johnson and came within eight votes of beating Truss to the run-off against Sunak.

The former defence and trade minister, who is popular with the Tories' grassroots, was a strong Brexit supporter and key figure in the 2016 "Leave" campaign.

But she faced criticism in the recent leadership race from Conservative colleagues, with some accusing her of being ineffective in previous government roles.

Mordaunt's profile rose this week after she was sent out on Monday in place of Truss to answer an urgent question in parliament from the Labour opposition about the recent economic turmoil.

Despite being forced to explain that the prime minister was "not under a desk" -- in response to accusations that Truss was in hiding -- Mordaunt was seen to have coped well with a febrile House of Commons.

Reports on Tuesday said a senior ally of the 49-year-old held private talks with Sunak last week about forming a unity ticket but the ex-finance minister rebuffed the offer because he does not want to be the junior partner.

More For You

Air India

An Air India Airbus A320-200 aircraft takes off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, July 7, 2017. Picture taken July 7, 2017.

Regulator warns Air India over delayed emergency equipment checks: Report

INDIA’s aviation regulator has warned Air India for violating safety rules after three of its Airbus aircraft operated flights without undergoing mandatory checks on emergency escape slides, according to official documents reviewed by Reuters.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued warning notices and a detailed investigation report highlighting the breach. These documents were sent days before the recent crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8, in which all but one of the 242 people onboard were killed. The Airbus incidents are unrelated to that crash.

Keep ReadingShow less
assisted dying bill

Pro and anti-assisted dying campaigners protest ahead of a parliamentary decision later today, on June 20, 2025 in London.

Getty Images

MPs to vote on assisted dying bill amid divided views

UK MPs are set to hold a key vote on assisted dying on Friday, which could either advance or halt a proposed law that would allow terminally ill adults to end their lives under strict conditions.

The vote follows several hours of debate in the House of Commons and will decide whether the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny or is dropped altogether.

Keep ReadingShow less
Zhenhao Zou

Zhenhao Zou, 28, was jailed on Thursday after being found guilty of multiple offences. (Photo: Reuters)

Reuters

Chinese student jailed for life for raping women in UK and China

A CHINESE postgraduate student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a London court.

Zhenhao Zou, 28, was jailed on Thursday after being found guilty of multiple offences. Police say there is evidence he may have targeted more than 50 other women.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India cuts international flights after deadly crash

Mother (C) of First Officer Clive Kunder, co-pilot of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad last week, mourns after his mortal remains were brought to his residence, in Mumbai. (PTI Photo)

Air India cuts international flights after deadly crash

AIR INDIA said on Wednesday (18) it will cut international operations on its widebody aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks, citing ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions following last week's deadly crash of one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Authorities continue to investigate the crash of flight AI171, which killed 241 people and marked the world's deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India crash victims

Family members and relatives of Megha Mehta, who died in the Air India plane crash, during her funeral at a crematorium, in Ahmedabad, Sunday, June 15, 2025.

Getty Images

Air India crash: 220 victims identified, 202 bodies returned to families

MORE than a week after an Air India flight crashed in Ahmedabad, 220 victims have been identified through DNA testing and the remains of 202 of them handed over to their families, Gujarat health minister Rushikesh Patel said on Friday.

The London-bound Air India flight AI-171 was carrying 242 passengers and crew when it crashed on June 12, killing all but one person on board. Nearly 29 others were killed on the ground when the aircraft hit a medical complex in Meghaninagar shortly after take-off.

Keep ReadingShow less