Race to become UK’s next prime minister has an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ feel to it

BRITISH Conservative MPs on Wednesday (Jul 20) selected the final 2 candidates in the race to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, with the contest having an “Alice in Wonderland” fantasy land feel about it. 

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss (a “Remainer” in the 2016 Brexit referendum) is seen as the “continuity candidate” to Johnson by the latter’s supporters. Meanwhile, former chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak (a long-time Brexiteer who was formerly Johnson’s closest ally) is now being criticised by some Conservatives, especially friends of the disgraced premier, as being too left-wing.  

The Conservative leadership contest has 2 phases. The first, which has now ended, was when the party’s MPs decide which 2 candidates should reach the final stage from an original cast of 11.  On Wednesday, Sunak won 137 votes while Truss secured 113. Penny Morduant, a junior trade minister and former defence secretary who bagged 105 votes, was eliminated.