*Rishi Sunak, 42, is set be ‘crowned’ the new British Prime Minister as rival Penny Mordaunt is short of the 100 backers’ threshold, says report

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Forty-Two-year-old Rishi Sunak has become Britain’s new Prime Minister, after he won the race to lead the Conservative Party.

Sunak is expected to undertake task of steering a deeply divided country through an economic downturn set to leave millions of consumers poorer in the United Kingdom (UK).

It was gathered as one of the wealthiest politicians in Westminster, set to be the country’s first leader of colour, Sunak will be asked to form a government by King Charles, replacing Liz Truss, the outgoing PM who only lasted 44 days in the job before she  resigned recently.

He defeated centrist politician Penny Mordaunt, who failed to get enough backing from lawmakers to enter the ballot, while his rival, the former prime minister Boris Johnson, had withdrawn from the contest affirming that he could no longer unite the party.

“This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party,” Mordaunt said in a statement as she withdrew from the race just minutes before the winner was due to be announced.

She said: “Rishi has my full support.”

Earlier in the race, Sunak, who launched his campaign at the weekend, was understood to have been publicly backed by 147 Members of the Parliament (MPs) to become the next British  Prime Minister.

Sunak’s path to becoming the new UK Prime Minister was made clearer as Penny Mordaunt understood to be short of 100 supporters, MailOnline report said.

The development comes after former PM Boris Johnson “unsuccessfully”, reached out to his two main rivals in an attempt to make a pact.

However, Johnson reportedly said that he did not stand in Tory leadership contest because of the need to ‘unite’ party even though he had the backing of 102 MPs and he could win the next election.

Boris publicly-backed by 57 MPs, but Sunday, October 23, 2022, claimed that he had reached 102 nominations

He had claimed that he is ‘well-placed to deliver Conservative victory in 2024’, but return ‘simply not the right thing to do’.

Johnson has sensationally quit the Tory leadership contest citing the need to ‘unite’ the party, despite claiming he reached the ‘very high hurdle of 102 nominations’ – as Rishi Sunak could be crowned Prime Minister Monday, October 24 with rival Penny Mordaunt short of the 100 backers threshold.

According to the former PM, continuing his bid to return to No. 10, Downing Street, was ‘simply not the right thing to do’ after unsuccessfully reaching out to his two main rivals in an attempt to make a pact.

But both Mr. Sunak and Ms. Mordaunt were said to have turned down an alliance, with Penny insisting ‘I’m in it to win it’.

Johnson, in a statement Sunday said: “In the last few days I have been overwhelmed by the number of people who suggested that I should once again contest the Conservative Party leadership, both among the public and among friends and colleagues in Parliament.

“I have been attracted because I led our party into a massive election victory less than three years ago – and I believe I am therefore uniquely placed to avert a general election now.”

He stated: “A general election would be a further disastrous distraction just when the government must focus on the economic pressures faced by families across the country.

“I believe I am well placed to deliver a Conservative victory in 2024 – and tonight I can confirm that I have cleared the very high hurdle of 102 nominations, including a proposer and a seconder, and I could put my nomination in tomorrow.

“There is a very good chance that I would be successful in the election with Conservative Party members – and that I could, indeed, be back in Downing Street Friday.”

Johnson also noted that “it is simply not the right thing to do.”

In the statement, the former Prime Minister confirmed he was bowing out of the race because it is ‘simply not the right thing to do’, despite claiming he had cleared the ‘very high hurdle of 102 nominations’.