*LONDON: Another crushing Brexit defeat for Theresa May means the Britishprime minister is on the ropes again — now perhaps for the last time.*
Here is a list of potential contenders to take over as Conservative partyleader and therefore prime minister:
*– Sajid Javid –*
A former investment banker and the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver,the 49-year-old Sajid Javid is the face of a modern, multicultural andmeritocratic Britain.
On the economically liberal wing of the Conservative Party, Javid voted forBritain to stay in the EU in 2016.
Since being appointed interior minister in April 2018, he has earnedrespect for his handling of a scandal over the treatment of the children ofCaribbean immigrants, known as the Windrush generation.
However, he was recently criticised in liberal circles for stripping ateenage mother who ran away to join the Islamic State group of her Britishnationality.
*– Boris Johnson –*
A former mayor of London, “Boris” or “BoJo”, was a key figure in the 2016Brexit campaign but failed in his bid to become prime minister in theaftermath as ally Michael Gove withdrew his support at the last minute.
May appointed Johnson as foreign minister but he quickly drew attention forall the wrong reasons, including a series of diplomatic gaffes.
He became increasingly uncomfortable with the government’s Brexit strategybefore resigning in July.
Charismatic and popular with grassroots Conservatives, the 54-year-old hasalso earned plenty of enemies within the party for his behaviour.
He separated from his second wife in September and has a new girlfriend. Hehas recently lost weight and trimmed back his trademark mop of blond hair.
*– Andrea Leadsom –*
The 55-year-old came second to May in the 2016 contest to replace DavidCameron. She is the leader of the House of Commons — responsible forbringing government business before the chamber — and is a staunchBrexiteer.
She has earned plaudits from the right-wing of the party for standing up toHouse of Commons speaker John Bercow, seen by critics as partial on theissue of Brexit.
Leadsom has also pushed for an end to the culture of sexual harassment andbullying in parliament.
She started out in the financial sector and later became an energy ministerunder Cameron but was little known before the Brexit vote.
She pulled out of the leadership content after appearing to suggest thatMay was less well placed to become leader because she was not a mother.
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*– Michael Gove –*
Brexit campaigner Gove initially supported Johnson’s leadership bid in 2016but at the last minute announced his own intention to run, causing both mento lose out to May.
“Whatever charisma is, I don’t have it,” he admitted in the race in whichhe came third.
After a year in the political wilderness, he was appointed environmentminister in June 2017 and has stayed in the headlines with a series ofeco-friendly policy announcements.
Equally active in his previous justice and education briefs, he is aminister who likes to see through radical new policies.
Following a series of resignations, the cerebral 51-year-old is nowundeniably the leading eurosceptic in government.
*– Jeremy Hunt –*
The foreign minister supported remaining in the EU but has been highlycritical of what he calls the “arrogant” approach taken by Brussels.
A former businessman who speaks fluent Japanese, the 52-year-old is aresilient politician, having headed up the National Health Service for sixyears during a funding crisis.
He replaced Johnson as Britain’s chief diplomat. Softly spoken andmeasured, Hunt is calm under fire and has gradually seen his power andinfluence in cabinet rise.
*– Dominic Raab –*
An ardent eurosceptic with a black belt in karate, the 45-year-old hasquickly climbed the ministerial ladder.
Raab only joined the government in 2015 under Cameron.
He backed Brexit and was named justice minister in the new cabinet afterthe 2016 referendum.
Raab later served as Brexit secretary from July to November 2018 when hestepped down in protest at the Brexit deal struck with the EU.
Just before his departure, he was widely mocked for saying that he “hadn’tquite understood” how reliant UK trade in goods is on the Dover-Calaiscrossing. – APP/AFP
