U.K. opposition chiefs call for new election as Rishi Sunak poised to become 3rd Tory leader in 7 weeks

Britain's former treasury secretary, Rishi Sunak, became the prohibitive favorite to win leadership of the Conservative Party and become Britain's next prime minister — the third in seven weeks — after main rival Boris Johnson dropped his comeback bid Sunday night.
Johnson, who resigned amid scandal in July, claimed in a statement that "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 on Friday," but he has "sadly come to the conclusion that this would simply not be the right thing to do."
Whether or not any of that is true — Sunak had a commanding lead in public and private support among the 357 Tory members in the House of Commons, while Johnson may not even have had enough support to top the threshold of 100 MPs — the opposition parties in Parliament said it's high time for all voters decide the next prime minister.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"The Tories are about to hand Rishi Sunak the keys to the country without him saying a single word about how he would govern. No one voted for this," deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said. "We need an election now — people deserve a vote on the future of the country." Labour leader Keir Starmer told the BBC that Britain "needs to get rid of this chaos."
Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the public doesn't want "another Conservative coronation" and will be "rightly be furious that they're set to endure a third Conservative PM in just as many months."
"That the Tories can foist upon us a third prime minister in just three years without an election, in the midst of a cost of living and economic crisis of their making, speaks to how unfair and undemocratic this Westminster system is," agreed Scottish National Party parliamentary leader Ian Blackford. "
"The majority of Brits say they want a general election, even though one is not required until January 2025," The Washington Post explains. "An election can be called early but it would require the support of Conservative lawmakers, which seems unlikely given that the party faces a near wipeout if an election was held today."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
But at least one Tory, former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, agreed that Johnson is the only Conservative with a popular mandate to lead, and with him out of the running, "it will now be impossible to avoid" a general election.
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Fannie Flagg’s 6 favorite books that sparked her imagination
Feature The author recommends works by Johanna Spyri, John Steinbeck, and more
-
Google: A monopoly past its prime?
Feature Google’s antitrust case ends with a slap on the wrist as courts struggle to keep up with the tech industry’s rapid changes
-
Patrick Hemingway: The Hemingway son who tended to his father’s legacy
Feature He was comfortable in the shadow of his famous father, Ernest Hemingway
-
Russia slams Kyiv, hits government building
Speed Read This was Moscow's largest aerial assault since launching its full-scale invasion in 2022
-
China's Xi hosts Modi, Putin, Kim in challenge to US
Speed Read Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other Asian leaders at an SCO summit
-
Russian strike on Kyiv kills 23, hits EU offices
Speed Read The strike was the second-largest since Russia invaded in 2022
-
UN votes to end Lebanon peacekeeping mission
Speed Read The Trump administration considers the UN's Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to be a 'waste of money'
-
Israeli double strike on Gaza hospital kills 20
Speed Read The dead include five journalists who worked for The Associated Press, Reuters and Al Jazeera
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
Kyiv marks independence as Russia downplays peace
Speed Read President Vladimir Putin has no plans to meet with Zelenskyy for peace talks pushed by President Donald Trump
-
Trump halts Gaza visas as Israelis protest war
Speed Read Laura Loomer voiced her concerns over injured Palestinian kids being brought to the US for treatment and a potential 'Islamic invasion'