Former chancellor beats leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt after receiving backing of over 180 Tory MPs
\nLONDON
\nRishi Sunak has won the Tory leadership race to become the United Kingdom\u2019s next prime minister, the first person of Indian origin in the country\u2019s history. He replaces Liz Truss \u2013 the shortest-serving UK PM \u2013 who resigned last week after just 44 days in the role.
\nThe development comes after Boris Johnson pulled out of the race late on Sunday night, Independent reported.
\nThe former chancellor beat leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt after receiving the backing of over 180 Tory MPs to Mordaunt\u2019s 27.
\n\u201cRishi Sunak is therefore elected as leader of the Conservative party,\u201d senior backbencher Graham Brady said, as Mordaunt vowed her \u201cfull support\u201d for the former finance minister.
\nSunak was to make his first remarks at 2:30 pm (1330 GMT), according to Brady, whose 1922 committee of Tory MPs organised a rapid leadership election following last week\u2019s resignation of PM Truss.
\nFormer leader Boris Johnson pulled out of the race late Sunday, leaving a straight fight between Sunak and Mordaunt.
\n\u201cThese are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today,\u201d Mordaunt said in a statement.
\n\u201cThey have taken this decision in good faith for the good of the country.\u201d
\nThe Tories retain a majority in parliament, meaning that as their leader, Sunak will be named prime minister by King Charles III.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Former chancellor beats leader of the House of Commons Penny Mordaunt after receiving backing of over 180 Tory MPs LONDON Rishi Sunak has won the Tory leadership race to become the United Kingdom\u2019s next prime minister, the first person of Indian origin in the country\u2019s history. He replaces Liz Truss \u2013 the shortest-serving UK PM […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":291351,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-291370","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n