Rishi Sunak became the only candidate as new leader of the Conservative party when Penny Mordaunt withdrew from the race with a few moments to go.
Graham Brady chair of the 1922 committee then announced just after 2pm that the former Chancellor is the new leader of the Conservative Party. He will become Prime Minister later on today.
Mr Sunak will address the Conservative MPs at Westminster at 2.30pm and will then go to see King Charles III at Buckingham Palace after Liz Truss has indicated her resignation to His Majesty.
After a tense weekend when the former Prime Minister briefly toyed with a comeback, it was down to Mr Sunak and Penny Mordaunt who was latterly the Leader of the House of Commons.
It will be up to Mr Sunak later today and tomorrow to make any changes he considers necessary to the members of his Cabinet. But whoever is in the Cabinet he will have his work cut out to make advances on any front, whether it is the economy or matters of immigration.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, MP and MSP, said: “I’d like to congratulate Rishi Sunak on becoming the new Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister, and look forward to working with him for the good of Scotland and the whole United Kingdom.
“Our country – like others around the world – faces tough economic challenges. Against that backdrop, it’s important that we have someone at the helm with a proven track record in running the nation’s finances, who can provide economic stability and reassurance to the markets.
“Recent weeks have been difficult and unsettling for both the Conservative Party and, more importantly, the country. Now all our focus must be on bringing the nation together and navigating the tough economic conditions we face.
“As he showed during his time as Chancellor – not least in safeguarding one in three Scottish jobs during the pandemic through the furlough scheme – Rishi Sunak is uniquely well equipped for that task.”
SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford MP said: “The Tories cannot be allowed to impose a third Prime Minister without a general election – voters must get a say and the SNP is determined to ensure they do.
“The Tory government had no mandate to trash the UK economy with its disastrous budget. And it has no mandate to install yet another leader who will impose devastating austerity cuts – making households pay through their teeth for Tory mistakes.
“No one voted for this. The only reason the Tories are running scared of democracy is because they fear the verdict of the people. There’s no better indication of that than the polling in Scotland, which shows voting SNP could wipe the Tories out completely.
“The decisions that are made in the weeks and months ahead will be hugely significant and will impact the economy, public services and household budgets for years to come. Voters must get a say on what course they want to take – instead of having damaging decisions imposed against our will.
“The SNP will continue to put maximum pressure on Tory MPs to hold an election. And, I’ve written to Keir Starmer making clear SNP MPs will back a vote of no confidence in the Tory government, if he tables one this week.
“The Tory economic crisis and constant chaos at Westminster shows exactly why Scotland needs independence, so we can get rid of Westminster Tory governments for good.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “The crisis that the UK faces is not simply down to who the Prime Minister is – changing the Prime Minister will not stop the rot.
“This is a morally bankrupt and incompetent Tory party that cares only about hanging on to power.
“The Tories have turned Britain into an international punchline – and they have treated you with contempt.
“Rishi Sunak has no mandate to lead the country. It’s time we had a general election and swept this immoral government from power.
“There is a majority for change – and the Labour party, under Sir Keir Starmer, represents that change. It’s time we called an end to this Tory merry-go-round of chaos.”
The Scottish Greens have warned that Rishi Sunak’s premiership will be “music to the ears of the super rich” but the last thing we need is yet another multi-millionaire Tory Prime Minister attacking the services we all rely on.
Scottish Greens Co-leader, Patrick Harvie MSP, said: “Rishi Sunak’s appointment will be music to the ears of his super rich friends, but, for millions of people in Scotland and beyond it will be devastating.”
“The Tories have stepped into a time machine and come out in 2010. The last thing we need is yet another multi-millionaire Tory Prime Minister looking the other way while millions suffer and attacking the services that we all rely on.
“They crashed the economy and now they will try to make the most vulnerable pay for it. That is what they do every time they get a sniff of power. That is what Rishi Sunak did when he was Chancellor and he cut Universal Credit by £1000 a year.
“He may have eventually withdrawn his support from Boris Johnson, but he stood right with him when he ignored the worst cost crisis for generations and when he delivered a disastrous Brexit.
“In 2014, we were told that a No vote was the only way to secure our economic stability. Since then we have had four Prime Ministers, each of them even worse than the one before. Rishi Sunak will be the fifth.
“Scotland didn’t vote for any of them. There is no doubt that we need an election, and the chance to remove this chaotic government. But we also need a fair and democratic referendum.
“Surely after all this, nobody can doubt that Scotland is capable of better than the shambles that calls itself the UK Government.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
