Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak is the first to secure the support of at least 100 Conservative MPs. This is the result of a count by British media. This will allow Sunak to take part in the Tories’ leadership elections and the battle for the position of the UK’s new Prime Minister.

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

There is also a lot of speculation that Boris Johnson wants to join the fight. He returned from his holiday in the Dominican Republic earlier this morning and that can only mean one thing, according to British media. Trade Secretary James Duddridge said Johnson told him he was “ready”. So far he has the support of at least 53 party members. Johnson has been in Parliament since the end of September.

Penny Mordaunt, leader of the party in the House of Commons, was the first to take part in the fight. She tweeted yesterday that she “guarantees a fresh start and will reunite the party.” Mordaunt has 22 Tories behind him so far.

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

So far, around half of Conservative MPs have expressed their preference. The candidates have until Monday afternoon to get 100 party members behind them.

Since there are 357 Conservatives in the House of Commons and each candidate must secure the votes of 100 party members, a maximum of three candidates can run. If Johnson and Mordaunt do not get enough support, there will be no vote and Sunak will be appointed party leader and prime minister.

If there are three candidates, there will be a first ballot on Monday afternoon after the submission deadline and a second ballot in the evening. If there are only two candidates, only one vote is required.

After that, members of the Conservative House of Commons will announce their preference for one of the two candidates. This is a voting tip for the 170,000 party members who vote to determine the winner. The aim 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 are planned for 2025 and must also be canceled by the ruling party. The Conservative Party is not waiting for that. The polls show that Labor is currently in the lead. No wonder given the internal squabbles and scandals within the Tories, from Johnson’s Corona parties to Truss’s tax deduction schemes.

The new Prime Minister has a difficult task ahead of him. On October 31, medium-term tax planning is on the agenda. The UK economy is not doing well, inflation is high and fuel prices are rising.