10 contenders vying to succeed Johnson as next UK leader

LONDON (AP) — A crowded field of contenders is vying to replace Boris Johnson as the next Conservative Party leader and British prime minister.

Nominations are set to close at 6 p.m. (1700GMT). Candidates need support from at least 20 Conservative lawmakers to be on the ballot for run-off votes, which will start Wednesday.

These are the 10 people who have thrown their hats into the ring so far:

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RISHI SUNAK, FORMER TREASURY CHIEF

Sunak, 42, is the best-known of the party's potential leaders and a favorite of bookmakers to succeed Johnson.

His public profile rose after he became the U.K.'s Treasury chief in 2020, a job that entailed overseeing the billions of pounds handed out during the coronavirus pandemic to help businesses and workers.

But he has faced criticism for not doing enough to ease the country's growing cost-of-living crisis. His popularity also took a dive after he police fined him for attending one of the government's lockdown-flouting parties at Downing Street, home to the prime minister's office and official residence.

Sunak says the promises to cut taxes made by many rival candidates are “not credible” and that he would only reduce taxes after inflation is under control.

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LIZ TRUSS, FOREIGN SECRETARY

Truss, 46, took on the high-profile Cabinet post in September after serving as trade minister. She is also the U.K.’s lead negotiator with the European Union on issues following Brexit.

Truss, the U.K.'s top diplomat, has made no secret of her leadership ambitions and has sought to emulate former Conservative Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in carefully curated social media photos. If selected, she says she wants to cut taxes “from day one” and reverse an income tax hike.

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PENNY MORDAUNT, TRADE...