UK Tory rivals open truncated leadership race

Contenders bidding to succeed Prime Minister Liz Truss were on Oct. 21 to open a hectic weekend of campaigning, but opposition parties demanded that UK voters get their own say to end months of political chaos.

After only 44 days in office, packed with economic crisis largely of her own making, the Conservative leader announced Thursday she was stepping down.
Truss admitted she "cannot deliver the mandate" on which she was elected by Tory members, after her right-wing platform of tax cuts disintegrated and as many Conservative MPs revolted.

Truss succeeded Boris Johnson on September 6 after a weeks-long campaign against Tory rival Rishi Sunak, vowing a radical overhaul as Britons struggle with a cost-of-living crisis.
Having warned correctly of the disastrous consequences of her debt-fuelled tax promises, former finance minister Sunak has emerged as an early favourite to succeed Truss.
But the scandal-ridden Johnson may also be in the mix for a dramatic comeback bid, despite leaving Downing Street with dismal poll ratings.

Likely contenders were keeping their powder dry in the immediate hours after party managers announced Thursday a truncated election process leading up to a result on October 28.
But supporters of Sunak and Johnson were quick to promote their merits -- while others such as senior cabinet members Penny Mordaunt and Ben Wallace were reportedly mulling their own runs.
Some including new finance minister Jeremy Hunt have already ruled themselves out.

Former minister Tim Loughton urged the four "big beasts" of Sunak, Mordaunt, Hunt and Wallace to agree on a unity candidate so that "we can get back to some degree of normality".
Other candidates could include a representative of the party's right...