Tag: Boris Johnson

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Boris Johnson to headline Masdar’s Green Hydrogen Summit  

Keynote speaker Boris Johnson brings significant international experience of advancing clean energy initiatives…reports Asian Lite News

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar has announced a stellar international lineup for its Green Hydrogen Summit including former UK Prime Minister Rt Hon Boris Johnson, ministerial speakers from the UAE, Azerbaijan, Japan and the Netherlands, industry leaders and global adventurer Dr. Bertrand Piccard.

Masdar’s second Green Hydrogen Summit, taking place on 16th April at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, will be held under the theme “Building the Hydrogen Economy: From Dialogue to Reality”. It will convene hydrogen players worldwide for in-depth discussions to accelerate the green hydrogen economy in support of the energy transition.

Keynote speaker Boris Johnson brings significant international experience of advancing clean energy initiatives. During his leadership as UK Prime Minister, Johnson laid out plans to develop a thriving low-carbon hydrogen sector as a key part of the country’s transition to net zero. Dr. Bertrand Piccard, Chairman of Climate Impulse, will also be speaking at the Summit. During his session he will outline progress on his aim for the first hydrogen-powered flight to circumnavigate the planet. Dr. Piccard’s record-breaking adventures include the first non-stop balloon flight around the world, as well as Solar Impulse, the first flight around the world in a solar-powered aircraft.

Hosted by the UAE’s clean energy champion Masdar, the Green Hydrogen Summit will feature a high-level ministerial panel focusing on national strategies and policies to accelerate green hydrogen economies. Ministers taking part in the panel include: Parviz Shahbazov, Minister of Energy, Azerbaijan; Yoshida Nobuhiro, Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan; and Frederik Wisselink, Energy Special Envoy, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, Netherlands.

Abu Dhabi’s Low Carbon Hydrogen Policy, and its impact on crucial industries, will be the subject of another panel. Speakers in this session will include Ahmed Mohammed Al Rumaithi, Undersecretary, Abu Dhabi Department of Energy and Mohammad Abdelqader El-Ramahi, Chief Green Hydrogen Officer, Masdar, alongside other high-level Abu Dhabi stakeholders.

The Green Hydrogen Summit will bring together the public and private sector, from policymakers and industry leaders to forward-thinking investors and pioneering entrepreneurs. A conversation on ‘Financing the Transition’ will focus on factors needed to make green hydrogen projects bankable, and will feature Lina Osman, Managing Director & Head – Sustainable Finance, Standard Chartered Bank and Dr. Michael Whiteley, Global Head Clean Hydrogen, HSBC, amongst other global finance leaders.

There will also be a pan-regional focus looking at the development of green hydrogen economies in Asia, the US and Europe. Speakers include Daria Nochevnik, Director for Policy and Partnerships, Hydrogen Council; Joaquin Rodriguez Jadraque, Director of Hydrogen and Clean Energies, Cepsa; and Alicia Eastman, Host of Everything About Hydrogen and Board Member, InterContinental Energy.

Other panels will spotlight hard-to-abate industries including aviation, shipping and heavy industry, with a key conversation on decarbonising the steel sector featuring industry leaders such as Micheal Rion, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates Steel Arkan.

ALSO READ: DEWA to highlight green initiatives at Sustainability Week

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Tories in trouble

Johnson’s resignation means Tories now faces special elections this summer, threatening to derail his hopes of closing the gap in the opinion polls with the opposition Labour Party…reports Asian Lite News

Boris Johnson quit his seat in the UK Parliament, denouncing as a “kangaroo court” the panel of lawmakers investigating his behavior and attacking the policies of the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak.

The former premier – who blames Sunak for the role he played in his own downfall last year – said Parliament’s Privileges Committee has mounted a “political hit job” and accused its chairwoman, Labour’s Harriet Harman, of “egregious bias.”

The committee didn’t respond to a request for comment. The panel has been investigating whether Johnson misled lawmakers over his knowledge of Covid-19 rule breaches by officials.

“The committee’s report is riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice,” Johnson said in a statement issued late on Friday. He was privately informed this week of their findings, which are not yet public. “I am now being forced out of parliament by a tiny handful of people,” he said.

Johnson’s resignation triggers a challenging special election for Sunak in a seat which the ruling Conservative Party held in 2019 with a relatively slim majority of about 7,000.

The departure also reopens the feud between the two men that has simmered since Sunak resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer in protest against Johnson’s leadership last year. That move precipitated Johnson’s departure as premier.

In his statement, Johnson pulled no punches in his diagnosis of the electoral ills of the Conservative Party, which has trailed the main opposition Labour Party in national polling by a double-digit margin for months.

On the day Sunak returned from a two-day visit to Washington, Johnson questioned why the government had “so passively abandoned the prospect of a Free Trade Deal with the US.” He said ministers needed to cut business and personal taxes and also asked why the government had “junked” measures to help people into home ownership.

“We must not be afraid to be a properly Conservative government,” Johnson said. “When I left office last year the government was only a handful of points behind in the polls. That gap has now massively widened. Our party needs urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do.”

Boris Johnson and Joe Biden.

Johnson’s resignation means Sunak’s party now faces special elections this summer, threatening to derail his hopes of closing the gap in the opinion polls with the opposition Labour Party, ahead of a general election due by January 2025.

He quit after a rapid series of developments on Friday that plunged the Tories into more political chaos.

Nadine Dorries, a key Johnson ally, also resigned from her Mid Bedfordshire seat after she was denied a peerage in Johnson’s resignation honor list. Bill Cash, the veteran Conservative MP and arch Eurosceptic, announced he would step down at the next election, after Johnson made him an Order of the Companions of Honour.

That list was published late on Friday afternoon, causing more controversy for the Tories as Johnson had recommended awards for a number of key supporters including former ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel.

On Saturday, Nigel Adams announced he was standing down as a member of UK parliament with immediate effect, triggering a third by-election after Johnson and Dorries.

The privileges panel was seeking to establish whether Johnson deliberately misled lawmakers when he repeatedly denied rule-breaking had occurred during a series of gatherings in Downing Street – collectively known as “Partygate” – during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021. He later apologized to the chamber after being fined for breaking the rules himself. Sunak was also fined.

Johnson claimed that his downfall was brought about by opponents of Brexit, launching angry attacks in his statement on the opposition Labour Party, as well as Sunak and Sue Gray, the civil servant whose investigation into Partygate also played a large role in his downfall.

“There is a witch hunt underway, to take revenge for Brexit and ultimately to reverse the 2016 referendum result,” said Johnson, a key architect of the winning “Leave” campaign.

While Johnson’s immediate political career is over, he hinted that he may attempt to return at some point. “It is very sad to be leaving parliament – at least for now,” he said.

ALSO READ: Boris Johnson resigns as MP

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Boris Johnson resigns as MP

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a press conference in London, Britain, May 25, 2022.(Xinhua/IANS)

In his resignation statement issued on Friday, Johnson described the committee as a “kangaroo court” whose purpose “from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts”, reports Asian Lite News

Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has stepped down as a Tory MP after claiming that he was “forced out of Parliament” over Partygate.

The former Prime Minister saw in advance a report by the Commons Privileges Committee investigating if he misled the Commons over Downing Street lockdown parties, the BBC reported.

Johnson said that he was “bewildered and appalled” after receiving a letter from the from a House of Commons committee, CNN reported.

His resignation now triggers a by-election in his marginal seat.

The Privileges Committee said that Johnson had called into question the integrity of the House of Commons, the British news broadcaster reported.

The MP-led committee – which has a majority of Conservative MPs – said it would conclude its inquiry on Monday and “publish its report promptly”.

In his resignation statement issued on Friday, Johnson described the committee as a “kangaroo court” whose purpose “from the beginning has been to find me guilty, regardless of the facts”.

Johnson previously admitted misleading Parliament when he gave evidence to the committee in a combative hearing in March – but denied doing it on purpose.

He said that social distancing had not been “perfect” at gatherings in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns but insisted the guidelines, as he understood them, were followed at all times.

ALSO READ: Sunak talks trade, AI and Ukraine on US trip

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Do not write Boris off

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a press conference in London, Britain, May 25, 2022.(Xinhua/IANS)

We must take into account the fact that for the Conservative faithful Boris is still the hero. His support in the land of the Tory activists cannot be ignored. Rishi has not made much of a dent there. To them Rishi is the man who stabbed their hero in the back, writes Mihir Bose

Boris Johnson is history. That is the refrain coming from our political commentators following his testimony to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee. I would not rush to that judgement. Certainly, he was rattled during the three and half hours of grilling. He had come in looking like a Boris we have never seen before. Gone was the traditional Boris look of a pantomime artist always trying to amuse us. Instead we had the look of a man who never mocks or jokes. Even his hair, which is always ruffled, was combed.

During the questioning by his fellow MPs he was so put off his stride that not once did he use the classics, laced with humour, to show off and distract us from reality as he has done so often in the past. And to make matters worse as he left only 21 diehard supporters joined him in voting against Rishi Sunak’s revised Northern Ireland protocol.  If this is the best he can do to unseat Rishi then, runs the argument, surely he is a spent force?

Yes, should the privileges committee really come down on him hard, and he is suspended for more than ten days, then a recall petition could see him lose his seat. But sanction by the privileges committee does not mean Parliament will suspend him. That process could pose problems for Rishi Sunak.

We must take into account the fact that for the Conservative faithful Boris is still the hero. His support in the land of the Tory activists cannot be ignored. Rishi has not made much of a dent there. To them Rishi is the man who stabbed their hero in the back.

PM Rishi Sunak speaks during Prime Minister’s Questions at the House of Commons.(Credit©UK Parliament_Roger Harris)

And even if the privileges committee comes down on Boris then it looks like he might do a Trump and refuse to accept the verdict. When asked whether he would accept the verdict he did not say he would. And as he demonstrated during the hearing he will try to implicate Rishi. Several times in his testimony he referred to the fact that Sunak, or the Chancellor of the Exchequer as he always called him, had also been fined by the police.

And while Rishi has steadied the Conservative ship after the Liz Truss storm he still comes over like a technocrat. He is the man you turn to when you have a computer problem to solve. Rishi took the opportunity of Boris’s testimony to release his tax details. I am sure this was advised by his PR minders to get it under the radar. In a country wedded to a monarchy we prefer those who have inherited wealth. And although Rishi does not flaunt his wealth like the rich in America, or in India, do, we have a distrust of those who have become rich rather than born rich. Some years ago in a taunt which has often been referred to Alan Clarke, then a Cabinet minister, dismissed his colleague Michael Heseltine as the kind of person “who bought his own furniture” (as opposed to someone with ‘breeding’ who inherits furniture).  I feel some of that attitude still remains.

In this country a Trump-like figure bragging about his wealth would be considered very un-British.

The other problem with Rishi is that he is a child of immigrant parents. Now this should be celebrated as evidence of how this country provides opportunities for migrants and of its much advertised kind and tolerant nature. But here we come up against the fact that Rishi is not white. I hesitate to always see race as an issue, but Rishi does carry the baggage of his colour.

Rishi has shown he can win over white people. When he first went to his Yorkshire constituency he was distrusted but now he is much liked if not acclaimed by his constituents.  But that has taken a great deal of personal interaction and I am not sure he has that time to win over the country. It is one thing to win respect for  managerial skills quite another to get the electorate to fall in love with you. Certainly not the way the Tory faithful love Boris Johnson.

The key moment will come when the May local elections take place. Should the Conservatives get smashed, as many think they will, then Boris’s army which is waiting in the wings, sharpening its claws, will jump into the fray. They will be gunning for Rishi the man who betrayed their hero. Their argument will be Rishi the nerd can never win them an election. Boris could still do it. That is when they will make their move to have the king over the water crowned.

ALSO READ: Boris nominates father for knighthood

ALSO READ: PM paid over £1m in UK tax since 2019

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Boris Johnson warns Sunak over Brexit deal

The talks have been shrouded in secrecy since a drastic improvement in relations under Rishi Sunak, but a deal hasn’t been reached yet…reports Asian Lite News

The UK government led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to announce a new agreement on the Brexit trading rules for Northern Ireland next week. But former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is threatening Sunak’s bid to end the bitter dispute with the European Union.

After weeks of intense UK-EU talks, momentum has been building towards a deal to revise the Northern Ireland Protocol – the arrangements agreed to avoid a hard border with EU member Ireland when Britain exited the EU in 2020.

The talks have been shrouded in secrecy since a drastic improvement in relations under Rishi Sunak, but a deal hasn’t been reached yet.

It is the trade deal that was agreed to ensure the free movement of goods across the Irish land border after Brexit. It came into effect in 2021 and has resulted in checks on goods travelling from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.

Boris Johnson and a section of Tory members believe that a successful deal will allow the UK government to unilaterally rip up some Brexit arrangements in the region.

Keeping the Northern Ireland protocol bill, introduced by Johnson’s government and currently working its way through parliament, now appears to have become a key test for the former prime minister, The Guardian reported.

But if the UK can resolve the issues with the EU, then there won’t be any need for such a bill. Sources close to Boris Johnson told The Guardian that it would be a great mistake to drop the Northern Ireland protocol bill.

Rishi Sunak might also face backlash from a section of pro-Brexit Tory MPs if the prime minister secures the deal on the back of opposition support. Labour leader Starmer has called on Sunak to “sidestep” hardline Tory MPs as the issue has dragged on for too long.

While details of the deal have not yet been published, it would involve separating goods from Great Britain that are staying within Northern Ireland and ensuring they do not have to undergo routine checks, the report said.

ALSO READ-Sunak calls for new NATO charter

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Bloomberg apologises after Johnson’s anti-China speech

loomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies Founder and former mayor of New York City, Michael R Bloomberg during the the third annual Bloomberg Global Business Forum (GBF) at The Plaza Hotel in New York on Sep 25, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

The former UK Prime Minister have reportedly described China as a “coercive autocracy”, reports Asian Lite News

Billionaire financier Mike Bloomberg was forced to apologise to hundreds of guests at a major Asian business event in Singapore this week after complaints about a speech by former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson that criticised China.

Johnson, the after-dinner speaker at the flagship Bloomberg New Economy Forum in Singapore on Tuesday, was said to have described China as a “coercive autocracy” to about 500 Asian businesspeople, investors and diplomats, the Guardian reported.

While his comments would not be regarded as controversial in the UK, where there is concern over Beijing’s human rights record, approach to Taiwan and closeness to Russia, the majority of Asian countries are much more favourably inclined towards China and share strong economic and diplomatic ties.

In remarks that may alarm the incumbent Rishi Sunak-led government and bolster his own support among Conservative MPs, Johnson is also said to have announced that he was taking a “temporary hiatus” from the frontline of British politics, suggesting he still harbours ambitions of returning to power.

Bloomberg, who invited Johnson and whose organisation was hosting the event in partnership with the Singapore government, acknowledged at the conference on Thursday that some attendees may have been “insulted or offended” by the former leader’s remarks, the Guardian reported.

But the businessman, a former mayor of New York and friend of Johnson, clarified that they were “his thoughts and his thoughts alone”.

“To those of you who were upset and concerned by what the speaker said, you have my apologies,” he added.

ALSO READ: China imposing forced inter-ethnic marriages on Uyghur women

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Boris back in London to launch leadership bid

Boris Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership

Merely three months after he was ousted from power, former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson landed in Britain on Saturday from a Caribbean holiday to launch a formal bid for the Conservative Party leadership, following Liz Truss’s resignation this week, according to UK media reports.

Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson now expressed his willingness to enter the PM race, saying he is “up for it.”

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak in the Johnson cabinet was also quick to mark his bid for the Tory and the British Prime Ministership having secured more than a hundred nominations – which is the minimum requirement to contest for the post.

Sunak late Friday became the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100-nomination threshold to run for party leader following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, reported Independent citing campaign sources.

Sunak, who fell to Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the UK PM race.

This is a key development after Liz Truss’ resignation as UK Prime Minister on Thursday which threw the country into political turmoil and left it scrambling for a stable government, as the opposition reiterated its demand for a general election.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak as they make their way up the staircase of No10 Downing Street to give a press conference on the Coronavirus. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

On Friday, Penny Mordaunt, the Tory leader in the House of Commons too threw her hat in the ring. “I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest,” Mordaunt tweeted.

Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out. The result will be announced on Friday, October 28.

It is pertinent to note that Truss became the shortest-serving British PM after she stepped down, stating that she recognises she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected. Truss said she would step aside for a new leader to be chosen within the next week.

In view of Truss’s resignation, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer issued a scathing statement that ripped into the Conservative Party and called for a general election.

After 12 years of “Tory failure,” he said the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. “We need a general election now,” he said.

Truss stepping down was preceded by the sacking of UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng and the resignation of Home Secretary Suella Braverman tendered her resignation. Liz only remained in power for 45 days after succeeding Boris Johnson last month. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Sunak gets backing of over 100 MPs to enter PM race

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Sunak gets backing of over 100 MPs to enter PM race

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak leaves the Prime Minister Boris Johnson weekly Cabinet Meeting inside No10 Downing Street on his way to deliver his 2021 Budget to the House of Commons. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

Rishi Sunak, who fell to Liz Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the UK PM race.

Conservative British politician of Indian descent Rishi Sunak is quick off the mark to bid for the leadership of the Conservative Party and the British Prime Ministership having secured more than a hundred nominations – which is the minimum requirement to contest for the post.

Sunak, late Friday became the first Tory leadership contender to reach the 100-nomination threshold to run for party leader following the resignation of Prime Minister Liz Truss, reported Independent citing campaign sources.

Sunak, who fell to Truss in the last leadership contest, got the backing of at least 100 Conservative Party lawmakers to enter the UK PM race. This is a key development after Liz Truss’ resignation as UK Prime Minister on Thursday which threw the country into political turmoil and left it scrambling for a stable government, as the opposition reiterated its demand for a general election.

Former UK PM Boris Johnson had also expressed his will to enter the PM race saying he is “up for it.” On Friday, Penny Mordaunt, the Tory leader in the House of Commons too threw her hat in the ring. “I’ve been encouraged by support from colleagues who want a fresh start, a united party and leadership in the national interest,” Mordaunt tweeted.

After Sunak reached the 100 nomination mark Conservative MP for Bournemouth East tweeted, “The free mkt experiment is over – it’s been a low point in our Party’s great history. The reset begins. Time for centrist, stable, fiscally responsible Government offering credible domestic & international leadership. Honoured to be the 100th Tory MP to support #Ready4Rishi.”

File photo shows Boris Johnson hosting the Prime Ministers Business Council alongside Rishi Sunak and leading business figures in 10 Downing Street. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

Former Health secretary Matt Hancock also confirmed his support for Sunak. He tweeted, “I have worked incredibly closely with Boris, Rishi & Penny in Government. I admire all three. With the challenges we face today: economic crisis & the need to restore authoritative leadership, Rishi Sunak is the best person to lead our country. I’m voting Rishi & hope you do too.”

Meanwhile, Tory MP Nigel Mills said it was a “mistake” for him not to back Sunak during the summer’s leadership contest. Mills tweeted, “A few weeks ago I changed my mind and didn’t back Rishi Sunak. I’m not making the same mistake again, he is clearly the prime minister we need to restore stability and tackle the many serious challenges facing the country.”

Tory MPs will vote on Monday, and two candidates will be put forward to the Tory membership unless one pulls out. The result will be announced on Friday, October 28.

It is pertinent to note that Truss became the shortest-serving British PM after she stepped down, stating that she recognises she “cannot deliver the mandate” on which she was elected. Truss said she would step aside for a new leader to be chosen within the next week.

“I came into office at a time of great economic and international instability. Families and businesses were worried about how to pay their bills, Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine threatens the security of our whole continent and our country has been held back for too long by low economic growth,” she said in a statement.

“I recognize though, given the situation, I cannot deliver the mandate on which I was elected by the Conservative Party. I have therefore spoken to His Majesty the King to notify him that I am resigning as leader of the Conservative Party,” she added.

Shortly after Truss’s resignation, Labour Party leader Keir Starmer issued a scathing statement that ripped into the Conservative Party and called for a general election.

“After 12 years of Tory failure, the British people deserve so much better than this revolving door of chaos. We need a general election now,” he said and added that “Each one of these crises was made in Downing Street but paid for by the British public. Each one has left our country weaker and worse off.”

“The British public deserves a proper say on the country’s future. They must have the chance to compare the Tories’ chaos with Labour’s plans to sort out their mess, grow the economy for working people and rebuild the country for a fairer, greener future. We must have a chance at a fresh start. We need a general election – now,” he added.

Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer speaks at the UK House of Commons. (UK Parliament_Jessica Taylor)

Truss stepped down a day after Indian-origin Home Secretary Suella Braverman tendered her resignation, citing “technical infringement of the rules” she committed while sending official documents.

In the letter addressed to PM Truss, she also expressed concerns about the direction of the government and said key pledges made to voters have been broken.

Braverman comes less than a week after UK Finance Minister Kwasi Kwarteng was fired after serving for less than six weeks. Kwarteng was sacked after the new government’s September 23 plan of massive tax cuts resulted in the plunging of British government bonds.

Earlier, Truss defeated former Chancellor of the Exchequer Sunak through a postal ballot of all Conservative members. Truss secured 81,326 votes while Sunak got 60,399 votes.

Sunak had thanked supporters who backed him in the Conservative Party race and said now it was time for all of them to unite behind the new UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.

The Tory leadership race was triggered after Boris Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 following a series of resignations of cabinet members, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Sunak and Truss rose to the Conservative ranks to end up as finalists for the contest for the post of UK Prime Minister. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Is it back to Boris or Sunak?

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Truss vows to scrap all EU laws by next year

Liz Truss with members from Richmond Conservatives. (Photo: Twitter@trussliz)

Liz Truss said she will “seize the chance to diverge from outdated EU law and frameworks and capitalise on the opportunities.”

Amid the ongoing contest for the Tory leadership, top contender Liz Truss has promised to review all EU laws retained in the British statute book by the end of next year, and to scrap measures deemed to be holding back the City of London.

UK foreign secretary Truss, in a statement, vowed a “red tape bonfire” if she became prime minister, including reform of the Mifid II trading rules. She also promised to unleash the “full potential” of Britain post-Brexit.

 “EU regulations hinder our businesses and this has to change. In Downing Street, I will seize the chance to diverge from outdated EU law and frameworks and capitalise on the opportunities we have ahead of us,” she was quoted as saying by the Financial Times.

This comes as Truss along with former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak emerged as the final two candidates in the country’s leadership race of the ruling Conservative party on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt was knocked out in the final round of ballot among Conservative lawmakers. Sunak won 137 votes and Truss 113.

The contest to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister will now go before the Conservative Party’s 200,000-odd dues-paying members, who will select the winner later this summer via mail-in ballot. The winner, to be announced on Sept. 5, will automatically become Johnson’s successor.

Though Sunak has won each of the five rounds of voting by lawmakers, a YouGov poll published on Tuesday showed that he was less popular with the party’s grassroots. He is predicted to lose to Truss, a favourite of the party’s right-wing, in the head-to-head contest.

Both candidates have made pledges on tax cuts as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite. However, Sunak dismissed as “fairytales” his rivals’ promises of immediate tax cuts, arguing that inflation must be brought under control first.

Inflation in Britain rose by 9.4 per cent in June, hitting a fresh 40-year high, official statistics showed on Wednesday. Truss, on the other hand, promised to start cutting taxes from day one.

The Tory leadership race was triggered after Johnson was forced to step down on July 7 by an avalanche of resignations of government officials, who protested against his scandal-plagued leadership. Johnson continues to serve as caretaker prime minister until a new Tory leader succeeds him. (ANI)

ALSO READ: UK inflation hits fresh 40-year high

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Rishi Sunak launches bid to replace Boris Johnson

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak on his way to brief members of the cabinet at the weekly Cabinet meeting inside No10 Downing Street, on the day the Chancellor delivers his summer statement to the House during the coronavirus. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

Sunak shot from relative obscurity to fame when the just-ousted Prime Minister Boris Johnson fast-tracked him to the powerful post of Chancellor in 2020, a report by Ashis Ray

Indian-origin former Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British government Rishi Sunak on Friday formally launched his bid to become leader of the Conservative Party. If he succeeds, he will automatically become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

He tweeted: “I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister.” He added: “Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country.” He also launched a website ready4rishi.com

Sunak posted along with the tweet a three-minute video setting out his intentions. He said: “I got into politics because I want everyone in this country to have those same opportunities, to be able to give their children a better future.”

He continued: “Our country faces huge challenges, the most serious for a generation. And the decisions we make today will decide whether the next generation of British people will also have the chance of a better future.”

Sunak shot from relative obscurity to fame when the just-ousted Prime Minister Boris Johnson fast-tracked him to the powerful post of Chancellor in 2020. He had been a Member of Parliament for less than five years. He became quite popular within months by providing financial support during the Covid pandemic, including furloughs to employees and soft loans to employers.

But the public liking for him was dented when this year he introduced taxes to reduce the government’s heavy borrowings. This was followed by controversy over his wife avoiding paying taxes in Britain and instead doing so at a lower rate in India from her dividends from shares in Infosys, the Bangalore-based software giant founded by her father N.R. Narayana Murthy. Sunak was then accused of retaining his Green Card in the US, where he had studied and worked.

It will not be surprising if his opponents in the upcoming competition cite his wife’s matter and the Green Card issue against him.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is joined by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak as they make their way up the staircase of No10 Downing Street to give a press conference on the Coronavirus. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street)

The son of a medical practitioner is, however, still one of the favourites in the contest, with probably Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, the current favourite.

Sunak resigned as chancellor on Tuesday, highlighting ideological and policy differences with Johnson. But also saying in his resignation letter that “the public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously”.