London: Indian-origin former chancellor Rishi Sunak on Sunday formally declared his candidacy to contest the Conservative Party leadership election to replace Liz Truss as British Prime Minister and fix the economy.
The 42-year-old is the clear frontrunner as he raced ahead with the backing of at least 128 Tory members of Parliament, even as loyalists of his former boss – Boris Johnson – claimed he has the necessary 100 MPs needed to make it to the shortlist.
While the former Tory leader and prime minister is yet to officially declare his candidacy, the contest is shaping up as a three-way fight between Sunak, Johnson and third-placed Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt.
“The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis,” Sunak tweeted in his campaign pitch.