British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, one of the leading candidates to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said he decided not to compete in the Conservative leadership race, while the former equality minister announced that she would run in the elections to lead the Conservatives.
According to the Conservative Home blog, Ben Wallace, 52, has risen in recent months to become the most popular member of government among Conservative Party members, overtaking Secretary of State Liz Truss, thanks to his handling of the Ukraine crisis.
"After careful consideration and discussion with my colleagues and family, I have made the decision not to participate in the Conservative leadership contest," Ben Wallace said on Twitter.
"It was not an easy choice, but my focus is now on my current job and on maintaining the security of this great country," he added.
The former Minister of Equality is running
On the other hand, former British Equality Minister Kimi Badenock added her name on Saturday to the list of candidates to succeed Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the head of the Conservative Party.
Badenock is one of about 60 lawmakers and aides who resigned this week to force Johnson out of office, but Johnson said when he announced he was stepping down as party leader that he would remain in office until a successor is chosen, a process that could take months.
In an article in The Times, Badenock called for change, saying the British public was "tired of vulgarity and empty rhetoric".
A Conservative leadership election is expected to be set for Monday, with the winner to be announced at the party's annual conference in early October.
So far, 4 Conservative lawmakers have officially announced their desire to succeed Johnson, but about 10 more are expected to run for the post.