Britain’s former Finance Minister Rishi Sunak on Sunday announced that he is running to be the next Conservative Party leader and prime minister.
“The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis,” he said on Twitter. “I want to fix our economy, unite our party and deliver for our country.”
In September, the former chancellor was defeated by Liz Truss in the race to replace ousted former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in an election held by members of the Conservative Party across the country. But, the UK’s ruling party is forced to conduct a second leadership contest following the resignation of Truss on October 20.
Sunak now has the support of over 100 Conservative MPs, the Associated Press reported. He will automatically become party leader and prime minister if his opponents fail to win 100 nominations from their fellow MPs.
Cabinet member Penny Mordaunt became the first to formally declare her candidacy, while Johnson is yet to do so.
In a statement on Sunday, Sunak made a reference to the scandals that brought down Johnson and said, “There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done.”
The 42-year-old MP and the son-in-law of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy quit Johnson’s government in July, helping trigger a rebellion that forced the former prime minister to resign.
“I served as your chancellor, helping to steer our economy through the toughest of times,” Sunak said on Sunday. “The challenges we face now are even greater. But the opportunities, if we make the right choice.”
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