Rishi Sunak becomes first Asian UK PM

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak will be the UK’s next prime minister after winning the Conservative Party leadership contest.

His nearest rival Penny Mordaunt dropped out of the race in the final minutes before nominations closed.

The 42 year old will become the UK’s first British Asian PM.

Nearly 200 Conservative MPs backed the former chancellor ahead of the nomination deadline tonight while Mordaunt dropped out after failing to secure enough support among MPs.

Mordant sent her best wishes to Sunak via Twitter.

“This decision is an historic one and shows, once again, the diversity and talent of our party. Rishi has my full support.”

Sunak will succeed Liz Truss and become the youngest PM for more than 200 years.

The new prime minister is expected to take office in the coming days now the result of the Tory leadership contest is known.

Sunak has addressed Tory MPs after the result was announced by Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 committee of backbench Conservatives.

King Charles III will appoint the new PM, who will take over from Truss following her resignation after 44 days in charge.

Sunak lost out to Truss in the last leadership contest during the summer.

Truss sent her full support via Twitter.

Conservative Party Chairman Jake Berry said it was time for the party to “unite four-square behind Rishi” after a period of intense political turmoil under Truss’s premiership.

Sunak will be the fourth consecutive prime minister – after Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Truss – to take power without a general election.

Johnson answered the call of several MPs to come back. The former PM and his relationship with truth do not sit well. It was no surprise Johnson said he had the required 100 nominations required to stand, although other sources say he only had 52, but added the time was not right to come back.

The next general election is not due to take place until at least 2024, after the Conservatives won a landslide majority in the last one in 2019.

The new PM is under no obligation to call an early election under the UK’s parliamentary political system but Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Sunak should call an early general election and must not “unleash another round of austerity.”