BORIS Johnson, Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt are all in the lead to replace Theresa May when she eventually stands down. She said this evening she would finally quit as PM after Brexit is delivered. That could be as early as May if her deal is signed off by MPs in the coming days. So […]
BORIS Johnson, Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt are all in the lead to replace Theresa May when she eventually stands down.
She said this evening she would finally quit as PM after Brexit is delivered.
That could be as early as May if her deal is signed off by MPs in the coming days.
So which Tories will be fighting to the front of the queue to replace her when she goes?
The Environment Secretary has achieved a remarkable turnaround since knifing Boris Johnson during the 2016 leadership contest.
His support among party members dropped through the floor and it seemed his chances were gone for ever.
But Mr Gove, who led the Leave campaign in the EU referendum, has rebranded himself as an ecowarrior as Environment Secretary.
Betfair Spokesperson Katie Baylis said this evening: “Following the news that Theresa May will quit once a deal is delivered, Betfair Exchange makes Michael Gove the 4/1 favourite to take over as PM once she goes, with Boris Johnson at 6/1.
“Jeremy Hunt is at 13/2 with his odds shortening from 14/1 in the last half an hour, while David Lidington was the big mover on the next PM market in the last week, and is at 10/1 in what promises to be another intriguing leadership contest.”
After the Brexiteer dramatically withdrew from the leadership race back in 2016 after he was knifed in the back by his mate Michael Gove, Boris is still seen as one of the favourites.
He’s been fighting for a hard Brexit from the backbenches but is popular among the Tory members.
Serving Mrs May for around 2 years as Foreign Secretary, Boris quit as Foreign Secretary on July 9, 2018, in a blow to May’s government.
He walked out just hours after she lost Brexit Secretary David Davis over her Chequers plan to keep close ties to Brussels.
But many MPs appear to have turned against him, meaning he might struggle to get on the ballot.
Just last weekend he said he didn’t want to be PM.
But as her right-hand man there’s always a chance that he could throw his hat into the ring too.
Mr Hunt was the longest-serving Health Secretary in British history before replacing Boris as Foreign Secretary.
He left the Department of Health after securing a £20bn funding increase for the NHS, but was hated by junior doctors after changing their contacts so they wouldn’t receive extra pay for the many shifts they work previously classified as unsociable hours.
Mr Hunt is known to have leadership aspirations and now says he backs Brexit despite campaigning for Remain during the referendum.
The Home Secretary has shot up in popularity in recent months as speculation mounted that the PM would be booted out or would have to quit.
The 49-year-old former banker’s recent decision to strip Isis bride Shamima Begum of her citizenship will have earned him more clout among hardline Tories too.
He is keen to remind voters of his humble upbringings, with his bus driver father father moving to Britain from Pakistan with just a pound in his pocket.
The Sun revealed in December that the Home Secretary was keen to run for leader if the PM was forced out.
He’s spent weeks recruiting Cabinet ministers to support his bid to be the first non-white PM.
The former Brexit Secretary quit the cabinet in protest over Theresa May’s soft divorce deal with the EU.
Raab has insisted No Deal wouldn’t be chaotic for Britain and said the short-term risks were “manageable”.
He has blasted those who want to extend Article 50 or a second referendum.
But he’s repeatedly refused to back the PM’s deal.
Last week he was part of a crunch summit of Brexiteers at Chequers, and is respected by many other Brexiteer colleagues in the Commons.
Though an unlikely candidate at the time, the Brexit campaigner reached the final two of the 2016 leadership contest.
She withdrew over ill-judged remarks about Theresa May not being a mother.
She is now Leader of the House, and survived in post.
Ms Leadsom has earned herself a reputation by arguing several times with Speaker Bercow in the Commons Chamber.
And she’s led the charge for a review of harassment and bullying policies in Parliament.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Latin-fluent millionaire financier and MP for North East Somerset, has emerged as the leading Brexiteer on the backbenches.
He has won a huge public profile despite not being a minister and is adored by hard-line Tory activists.
Rees-Mogg has also garnered a surprise following among many young Tories – including Jungle Queen Georgia Toffolo, who called him “a sex god”.
Devout Catholic Rees-Mogg has made no secret of his socially conservative views, such as being anti-abortion and against gay marriage.
But he’s repeatedly said he doesn’t want to be PM. He backs Boris but also thinks highly of Dominic Raab too.
The Health Secretary has gained in popularity in recent weeks but is still a relative outsider to most of the public.
He’s incredibly loyal to Theresa May but the position in charge of the NHS and Britain’s hospitals will never be a popular one for most Brits.
Ms Rudd has managed to stay in favour with Mrs May, taking the buck for the Windrush scandal and stepping down as Home Secretary – before months later returning to the cabinet and Work and Pensions chief in November.
The 55-year-old Hastings MP has voiced support for the PM and for her botched Brexit deal, but insiders think she’s savvy enough to manoeuvre a bid.
The Defence Secretary might put his hat in the ring in a future leadership contest.
He’s probably most famous for when he told Russia to “shut up and go away” in the wake of the
But his straight talking could earn him some support.
The former Work and Pensions Secretary said she would run for leader if colleagues wanted her too.
*Betfair odds as of March 27
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