United Kingdom: Ben Wallace favorite to take over from Boris Johnson

Britain's Defense Secretary Ben Wallace here in Moscow, Russia, February 11, 2022. © REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

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3 mins

After the announcement of the resignation of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, speculation is rife as to who would be able to take the lead of the Conservative Party and therefore the reins of 10 Downing Street.

If specialists and some British politicians refuse to comment, a poll carried out by You Gov, an international polling and market research company based on the Internet, would place Defense Minister Ben Wallace as the favorite to take over the reins of the country.

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Boris Johnson announces that he will remain as Prime Minister until the fall.

Out of the question for his opponents.

The Labor Party considers it impossible to "

any longer ", and even within the Conservatives, some former collaborators speak of a "

" (several portfolios have not yet been reallocated after the wave of resignation) and demand a fresh start.

Even the

, a conservative newspaper, demands an immediate departure this Friday morning, reports our correspondent in London,

.

“

»

If Boris Johnson does not leave now, it is officially to give the party time to organize an election to replace him, but the press reports that the Johnson couple have long planned a big party at the Checkers second home in the end of the month, and that he would no longer have access to property if he left power.

Ben Wallace, a "frank" and "competent" figure for the Tories

The editorialists are proposing to ensure the interim of Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab and the party could speed up the electoral process to quickly appoint its new leader.

If there is one personality that seems to emerge among the elected Conservatives able to replace Boris Johnson, it is him.

Ben Wallace, Minister of Defense of the outgoing government, aged 52, is the favorite.

If he is only slightly in the lead, it is he who seems able to beat the other candidates in the event of a duel, according to the survey of Conservative Party members by the polling institute You Gov.

In any case, he would win, even if Ben Wallace remains a controversial personality.

In this poll where he obtained 13% of the vote, the Minister of Defense is only one point ahead of Penny Mordaunt, the Minister of State for Trade, followed by Rishi Sunak, the resigning Minister of Finance, Liz Truss and Michael Gove .

All the duels between these five conservatives have been considered by this polling institute and in all cases Ben Wallace stands out.

Very popular in his country in the context of the

, the Minister of Defense is perceived by the Tories as a frank and competent figure, even if he has always denied being interested in taking the lead of the British Conservative Party.

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