Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Hot tips in race for the top job in 2022
THERESA May has told Tory MPS she will not fight the 2022 election, but who will? These are the main runners and riders, with their odds according to Ladbrokes: At 4/1, Boris Johnson is a frontrunner. On the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday he had a new haircut and refused to rule out standing for the job. The former London Mayor backs what he calls a “managed no-deal”. Joint 4/1 favourite, Dominic Raab was briefly Brexit Secretary, but quit over the PM’S deal. On the right of the Tory party, he believes the state should be completely stripped back and was calling for us to leave the EU years before the referendum. Home Secretary Sajid Javid, at 6/1, is understood to have told Cabinet colleagues he is gearing up for a bid. It is widely expected the next Tory leader will be a Brexiteer, so Mr Javid, who backed Remain but now supports Leave, would have a real fight on his hands. Jeremy Hunt, at 8/1, is seen as a safe pair of hands. He was the longest-serving Health Secretary in the history of the NHS. As Foreign Secretary he helped free British academic Matthew Hedges from the UAE. He campaigned for Remain so may have a hard job trying to win over Brexiteers in the party. As Environment Secretary, Michael Gove, at 8/1, made a name for himself by banning plastic straws and increasing the price of plastic bags. He displayed a ruthless streak when he betrayed his friend Boris in the last leadership campaign. At 16/1, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has criticised male Brexiteers who “flounce out quite a lot” instead of getting things done. Seen as a moderate, she has said she hopes a “centrist” is the next leader. Penny Mordaunt, at 25/1, is International Development Secretary and would appeal to right-wingers with plans to cut back on foreign aid. Contenders need nominations from two Tory MPS. Candidates are whittled down to two in votes by MPS before 140,000 party members make the final choice.