Britain’s King Charles III appointed a new conservation leader Rishi Sunak as the second prime minister of his reign, on Tuesday shortly after accepting the resignation of Liz Truss.
Sunak will be the country’s youngest Prime Minister in two centuries and the third one this year after Boris Johnson and Liz Truss.
Mordaunt was a leader of the House of Commons in the government of Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was forced to quit on her 45th day in office — the shortest period any premier in the United Kingdom has served.
It will be the first time a non-white will occupy the position of head of government in the UK — a major post in international affairs since Britain is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council as well as a constituent of the G7 — the most industrialized countries in the world.
Sunak spoke outside 10 Downing Street after his appointment by King Charles III, capping the latest extraordinary twist in UK politics following Boris Johnson’s resignation in July.
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Departing Downing Street a little before, Truss wished Sunak “every success” and said she remained “more convinced than ever” that Britain needed to be “bold” in confronting the challenges it faced.
Sunak became the ruling Conservatives’ new leader on Monday after triumphing over rival contender Penny Mordaunt, who failed to secure enough nominations from Tory MPs.
It became a two-way fight after Johnson dramatically aborted a comeback attempt late Sunday, failing to persuade Sunak to share power. He has maintained a deafening silence since.
