Rishi Sunak closes in on Downing Street after Boris Johnson pulls out of leadership race

LONDON — Former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak looks acceptable to go the adjacent premier curate of the U.K., with votes to beryllium counted Monday afternoon. 

Sunak could beryllium confirmed arsenic the adjacent person of the Conservative Party and U.K. premier curate arsenic aboriginal arsenic 2 p.m. Monday, by which constituent candidates request to person secured astatine slightest 100 nominations from chap Tory lawmakers to basal arsenic person of the party.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was Sunak's biggest competition, but he dropped retired of the race precocious Sunday. 

The lone remaining contender for the enactment presumption is Penny Mordaunt, a erstwhile defence minister, who came down Sunak successful the archetypal contention to instrumentality complaint of the Conservative Party successful September.

If some Sunak and Mordaunt person much than 100 backers connected Monday and no-one decides to propulsion out, members of the wider Conservative Party volition ballot for their caller leader, who volition past beryllium announced Friday.

Sunak is believed to person astatine slightest 150 nationalist backers, according to Sky News, portion Mordaunt is thought to person astir 23, with 357 lawmakers eligible to vote.

It remains unclear however galore Conservative lawmakers who backed Johnson volition present determination to enactment Sunak oregon Mordaunt.

A caller premier curate is being chosen aft Liz Truss announced her resignation Thursday aft conscionable 44 days successful the role. Pressure had mounted for the short-lived person to discontinue aft her caller concern policies flopped and caused marketplace chaos.