After months of media uproar following the unprecedented infamous Brexit crisis, British PM Theresa May has decided to resign. Her term will end on October 31st, the same day where Brexit will take effect.
On Sunday, June 16th, the five shortlisted candidates were invited to participate to a TV show on Channel 4. However, the frontrunner Boris Johnson, former London’s mayor did not attend it.
Foreign third parties have also trying to get involved in the process, including Brussels and U.S President Donald Trump, who was visiting the United Kingdom earlier this month and officially endorsed Boris Johnson. Who is the most likely to win the race? Here is an overview of what to expect.
Six candidates for one role
On Sunday, June 16th the last five candidates for the role of PM participated to a 90-minute debate on Channel 4.
The next Prime Minister will have to replace Theresa May, who has been in power since David Cameron resigned, right after the “yes” won during the 2016 Brexit referendum. May recently decided to resign because she “could not deliver Brexit” in her own words.
Starting the debate, candidate Rory Stewart, the international development secretary, declared that “a no-deal Brexit is a complete nonsense”.
Former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab promised to “prepare for no-deal by passing tax cuts in an emergency budget, essentially putting the country on war footing”, reported the Washington Post.
But as economists shared to the newspaper, “British business leaders worry that leaving the trade bloc without a deal will be massively disruptive, for Britain and Europe”.
Boris Johnson has a plan
If Boris Johnson was not attending the debate, he has already made his plan very clear in prior interviews. Johnson explained he would not join the debate as the latter would “be slightly cacophonous”.
🗣️ @BorisJohnson: "As Mayor of London, we kept our promises and delivered for everyone. Now I want to do the same for our country."
Join the #BackBoris team 👉 https://t.co/qXXcCvWsiR pic.twitter.com/kHmW3c1P6O
— Back Boris (@BackBoris) June 14, 2019
In what appears to be a planned strategy, Johnson published an op-ed right during the television debated on newspaper’s website The Telegraph.
He wrote that he would promise new opportunities the “left-behind Britain”, using his successful results obtained while he was the Mayor of London. In his op-ed, Johnson namely promised to Lincolnshire farmers to “improve their lives (…) as fast as possible”.
Only a few hours after the debate, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock pulled out his application and endorsed Boris Johnson.
Read on Alvexo: “France and Germany Disagree over Europe’s leadership”
Johnson, a British version of Tump?
While visiting the United Kingdom earlier this month, U.S President Donald Trump endorsed Boris Johnson, saying that “delay means defeat”.
A few days after he arrived in London, Donald Trump gave a press conference where he called the PM’s frontrunner by his first name: “I know Boris. I like him, I’ve liked him for a long time. I think he would do a very good job”.
Johnson’s populist style and conservative strategy seem to have win the heart of the White House. Similarities between the two politicians are so important that some comedians such as Trevor Noah have analyzed them.
Last but not least, Brussels seems to have unofficially endorsed Boris Johnson, as he is the most experienced candidate.