One of the favorites in the race to succeed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, his Defense Minister Ben Wallace, has decided not to run, leaving Rishi Sunak the only heavyweight already in the arena for the time being.

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Two days after the announcement of the resignation of Boris Johnson, 58, overwhelmed by an overflow of scandals, his potential successors are gradually revealing their intentions in the competition which will open to replace him at the head of the Conservative Party and therefore in Downing Street, the Tories being the majority in the House of Commons.

Despite many supporters, "I made the decision not to enter the race", wrote Ben Wallace on Twitter, explaining that he wanted to concentrate on his current task and "ensure the security of the country".

On Friday, ex-Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, 42, was the first major suitor to launch his candidacy, in a particularly polished video, to the point of fueling suspicions of long-prepared candidacy and treason.

In this clip which made seven million views on Saturday, Rishi Sunak promises to "restore confidence", "rebuild the economy and reunify the country".

Long a favorite to enter Downing Street if Boris Johnson fell, Rishi Sunak found himself significantly weakened a few months ago after the revelation of the advantageous tax status enjoyed by his wealthy wife, which allowed him to avoid pay tax on overseas income to the UK tax authorities.

He had also suffered from a response deemed insufficient by public opinion in the face of the cost of living crisis, in a United Kingdom plagued by inflation at its highest in 40 years (more than 9%).

The announcement of his candidacy, to which several deputies immediately rallied, apparently created a rebound: a poll on Friday for Channel 4 of 493 party members gave him the Conservatives' favorite candidate (25%), ahead of Foreign Minister Liz Truss (21%).

“Platitudes and empty rhetoric”

The state of the party promises a very open competition, in which Secretary of State for Foreign Trade Penny Mordaunt and former Minister of Health Sajid Javid appear to be serious competitors. But none of them have come forward yet.

Rishi Sunak had been one of the first to leave government on Tuesday night, apparently without even telling Boris Johnson, along with Sajid Javid. These two almost simultaneous resignations had triggered a politically fatal hemorrhage for the hero of Brexit.

Several other candidates with much lower chances of success have thrown themselves into the race for the succession.

Former Secretary of State for Equality Kemi Badenoch called for change and pointed out that opinion was "weary with platitudes and empty rhetoric".

She thus joins Suella Braverman – attorney general, responsible for advising the government legally – and Tom Tugendhat – chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Raising of thresholds

Up to fifteen applications are anticipated in total.

Faced with the prospect of such an influx, an increase in the number of sponsorships and votes required in the first part of the nomination process is envisaged, explained on Times radio Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, treasurer of the 1922 Committee, in charge of the internal organization of the party. And this so that the two finalists can be known within two weeks, before the summer parliamentary truce which begins on the 22nd.

The vote of the members of the conservative party - 160,000 voters in the last internal election of 2019 - to decide between them would take place by the start of the school year, according to the scenario which seems to be emerging in the British press.

The executive office of the 1922 Committee must be renewed on Monday. He is the one who will set the rules and the timetable.

Announcing his resignation on Thursday, Boris Johnson said he intended to remain in Downing Street until a new party leader was elected, with many voices calling for his immediate departure and the establishment of a an interim.

Whoever he is, the next tenant of Downing Street will have to face a host of difficult subjects, between the purchasing power crisis, Ukraine or even the thorny issue of Northern Ireland in the post-Brexit period.