UK Defense Minister Boris Johnson is not running

British Defense Minister Ben Wallace, considered one of the favorites to succeed Boris Johnson as Prime Minister, has announced his withdrawal from the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party.

“After careful consideration with colleagues and family, I have made the decision not to enter the Conservative Party leadership race. I am very grateful to my fellow MPs and Members who have pledged their support,” he wrote on Twitter on Saturday. . Wallace said it was “not an easy choice” but insisted he was focused on the work at hand “keeping this great country safe.”

He concluded the message by saying, “I wish all the candidates the best of luck and hope we all get back to focusing on our chosen issues soon.”

Boris Johnson’s successor will be decided in an internal election, the calendar of which will be announced next week, and the process is expected to last until September. After that, the election will be held in two phases, starting with a series of votes restricted to the parliamentary committee to narrow the candidates down to two finalists. The winner will be chosen in a second round by nearly 200,000 party members.

After careful consideration and discussion with colleagues and family, I have taken the decision not to enter the race for the leadership of the Conservative Party. I am very grateful to all my Parliamentary colleagues and members at large who have pledged their support. 1/2

– Rt. Hon Ben Wallace MP (@BWallaceMP) July 9, 2022