Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss face runoff to become next UK Prime Minister
Former UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak and current Foreign Secretary Liz Truss will face each other in a runoff vote to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The ruling Conservative party chose Sunak and Truss for the election after a vote on Wednesday. Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt narrowly came in third and was eliminated.
The result came on the same day that the UK's scandal-ridden leader concluded his final Prime Minister's Questions.
Johnson, who announced his resignation on 7 July, rounded off his final appearance at the dispatch box with a famous catchphrase from The Terminator.
He also praised his own self-perceived accomplishments in delivering Brexit, leading the UK through the COVID pandemic, and supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion.
"Mission largely accomplished, for now," Johnson told MPs. "I want to thank all the wonderful staff at the House of Commons, I want to thank all my friends and colleagues."
"I want to thank everybody here, and hasta la vista, baby," he added as Conservative MPs gave him a standing ovation.
The race to Number 10 Downing Street now pits Sunak, who steered Britain’s economy through the pandemic, against Truss, who has led the UK’s response to the Ukraine war.
Sunak has won every round of voting by lawmakers but is less popular with the party’s grassroots. Truss meanwhile is a favourite of the party’s right wing.
The two contenders will spend the next few weeks campaigning for the votes of about 180,000 Conservative Party members around the country, who will vote by postal or online ballot.
The winner of the party leadership vote will be announced on September 5, and will automatically become Britain’s next prime minister.
The bitter campaign has so far exposed divisions in the
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