Rishi Sunak announces he’s standing to be next leader of Conservative Party

Rishi Sunak has announced that he’s standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party.

This follows Boris Johnson’s resignation yesterday.

The former Chancellor resigned last Tuesday, moments after Sajid Javid quit as Health Secretary – the catalyst for a flurry of resignations that led to Johnson stepping down.

In his resignation letter, Sunak told Johnson: “The public rightly expect government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously… I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning.”

Sunak confirmed he was running for party leader on social media, writing: “Let’s restore trust, rebuild the economy and reunite the country.”

In an attached video he went on to say: “Family is everything to me. And my family gave me opportunities they could only dream of.

“But it was Britain, our country, that gave them and millions like them the chance of a better future.

“I want to lead this country in the right direction.

“I ran the toughest department in government during the toughest times when we faced the nightmare of COVID.

“My values are non-negotiable: patriotism, fairness, hard work.

“We’ve had enough of division.

“Politics at its best is a unifying endeavour and I have spent my career bringing people together. Because that is the only way to succeed.”