Ben Wallace and Liz Truss are emerging as the frontrunners to succeed Boris Johnson.
Ben Wallace is emerging as the frontrunner to become the next leader of the Conservative Party, replacing Boris Johnson.
His popularity has skyrocketed in recent weeks as a result of his response to the Ukraine conflict and his relatively clean record when compared to that of many of his fellow cabinet members.
The Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, has also experienced an increase in support, demonstrating that the British public is extremely concerned about the conflict in Ukraine.
According to two recent polls, the Defence Secretary is the most likely candidate to be elected as the next Conservative leader and Prime Minister.
According to a Techne poll conducted for the Sunday Express, Mr Wallace received the support of more than a quarter of Tory voters (28 percent), with 16 percent of all respondents supporting him as the party’s next leader.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was the next candidate to be endorsed, garnering support from a fifth of Conservatives and 13% of all votes. She has been at the forefront of the announcement of severe sanctions against the Russian government.
Rishi Sunak’s popularity has plunged to the point where he is now supported by only 4% of respondents, including only 9% of Conservative supporters.
The findings are consistent with the results of the most recent poll of Conservative Party members conducted by Conservative Home, which revealed that Mr Wallace has the highest net satisfaction of any cabinet minister.
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With an approval rating of +85.5, the Defence Secretary was followed by Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi with an approval rating of +66.5, Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan with an approval rating of 64.4, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss with an approval rating of 61.1.
The league table, which is published once a month, is highly observed since it is the most accurate indicator of sentiment among the Conservative activist base, which will elect the next leader.
Mr Johnson’s popularity increased as well, rising from +17.3 in the previous month to +33.1; however, Mr Sunak’s popularity dropped from +38.8 to +7.9 as a result of his Spring Statement, which received a negative response.
However, the survey was conducted before the couple were fined as a result of the Partygate scandal.
Mr Wallace’s reputation has risen as a result of his role in coordinating the evacuation of refugees and British people from Afghanistan, which has been praised. His approach to the situation in Ukraine looks to have boosted his standing inside the party even further.
Long-time Conservative adversaries such as Ian Blackford, the leader of the Scottish National Party in Westminster, have commended the Defence Secretary, saying, “He understands why it’s crucial that we are all in the room, united against Putin and in support of Ukraine.”
He has strong ties to Scotland, having first entered politics as an MSP in 1999 and previously being commissioned as an Officer in the Scots Guards. This could be another factor in his decision.
Conservative MPs may regard him as the man who can prevent a second Scottish independence vote and keep the United Kingdom together – something Mr Johnson has failed to accomplish so far in his tenure as Prime Minister.
Due to the fact that Russia is still engaged in a violent conflict with Ukraine, this is likely to be the issue that earns Mr Wallace the support of the Democratic Party of Canada.
While being loyal to his boss, the Defence Secretary has avoided answering the question of whether he would consider running for the Conservative Party leadership in the next election.
In his words, “Boris is the Prime Minister, and I have no interest in changing that.”
