Rishi Sunak will become Britain’s next prime minister, prevailing in a chaotic Conservative Party leadership race on Monday after his remaining rival for the position, Penny Mordaunt, withdrew.
Mordaunt had been scrambling to get enough support from MPs to make the final ballot in the leadership race; while Sunak passed the threshold comfortably.
“This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi has my full support,” Mordaunt tweeted.
Boris Johnson, the prime minister before Ms. Truss, pulled out of the race on Sunday night
Read more: Boris Johnson, Sunak, others battle for vacant UK Prime Minister position
Sunak has the task of steering a deeply divided country through an economic downturn set to leave millions of people poorer. Britain is suffering the global scourge of inflation, as well as the self-inflicted damage of Ms. Truss, whose free-market economic agenda, featuring sweeping tax cuts, upended markets and sent the pound into a tailspin.
The 42-year-old former chancellor of the Exchequer is the son of Indian immigrants. At the age of 42, he is also the youngest person to take the office in more than 200 years. Mr. Sunak won the contest to replace Liz Truss, who resigned under pressure last Thursday after her economic agenda caused turmoil.
He will be Britain’s third leader in seven weeks, the first Hindu and the first prime minister of colour in its history.
