By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Rishi Sunak has been appointed as the leader of the Conservative Party and will become the new Prime Minister after an eventually-unopposed bid to take over the role from Liz Truss.
His successful campaign to take on the position was confirmed at 2pm on Monday (October 24) after opponent Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the contest.
The former Chancellor becomes the United Kingdom’s third Prime Minister in four months.
Ms Truss resigned from the role after 44 days in office.
It had initially been thought former Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be throwing his hat in the ring to take on the job he was removed from just three-and-a-half months ago.
He had even been given the public backing of three Nottinghamshire Conservative MPs – Ben Bradley, Brendan Clarke-Smith and Lee Anderson – before pulling out late on Sunday evening.
Mr Anderson took to social media on Monday morning to show his support for Penny Mordaunt’s campaign.
Neither Mr Bradley nor Mr Clarke-Smith responded to the Local Democracy Reporting Service to confirm who their support went to.
Mr Sunak received the support of at least three Nottinghamshire MPs – Gedling’s Tom Randall, Mark Spencer of Sherwood and Newark’s Robert Jenrick.
Ruth Edwards, Conservative MP for Rushcliffe, and Broxtowe’s MP Darren Henry did not confirm publicly who they were backing.
Confirming his support for Mr Sunak, Sherwood MP and former Government chief whip Mark Spencer said: “Rishi has the skills and ability to steer us through unprecedented global challenges.”
Mr Jenrick, the former Housing Secretary and Newark MP, added: “The markets will no longer tolerate fiscal cakeism.
“We need someone who is able to make the hard and painful decisions needed to stabilise the economy – and that man is undoubtedly Rishi Sunak.
“Economic confidence and stability is the foundation of everything.”
Prior to his victory, Mr Sunak had not commented on his policy plans publicly since the leadership contest was declared on Thursday.
However, during the summer leadership campaign – in which he lost on membership votes to Ms Truss – he was critical of her economic policy and tax cut plans.
These tax cuts were then implemented under Ms Truss and her former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s ‘mini-budget’ – a move that almost crashed the financial markets and caused a £65bn Bank of England bailout.
It was also revealed earlier this summer that Mr Sunak is supportive of the levelling up plans announced in the Conservative Party’s 2019 manifesto.
Cllr Ben Bradley MP (Con), who also leads Nottinghamshire County Council, confirmed in August this includes a commitment to the £1.14bn devolution deal on its way in the East Midlands.
Commenting after Mr Sunak’s victory was confirmed, Cllr Bradley said: “Congratulations to Rishi Sunak – Britain’s next Prime Minister.
“He can be assured of my full support and I hope he can bring stability to Government in difficult times.”
Mr Sunak’s premiership will also include the continuation of the corporation tax rate rise to 25 per cent and the basic rate of income tax remaining at 20 per cent – policies he first introduced as Chancellor.
These policies, he said in the summer, would remain the case until the current inflation rate of 10.1 per cent begins to come down.
In withdrawing from the race on Monday afternoon, Ms Mordaunt said: “These are unprecedented times. Despite the compressed timetable for the leadership contest, it is clear that colleagues feel we need certainty today.
“They have taken this decision in the good faith of the country.
“We have now chosen our next Prime Minister. This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi has my full support.”
