The Conservative Party is desperate to draw a line under U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss’ disastrous reign, with a rapid leadership contest aimed at trying to give the winner a shot at overturning an unprecedented deficit in the polls.
Under rules announced Thursday, a maximum of three Tory MPs will be able to run. The next leader could be decided as soon as Monday, because once the field has been whittled down to two, the candidate with the least support will likely face overwhelming pressure to withdraw rather than give grassroots party members — who opted for Truss last time — the final say.
It is a reflection of how much Conservative Party managers are desperate for pragmatism, rather than ideology, to drive events over the next few days. Some Tory MPs are publicly ashamed of the chaos unleashed by Truss’ premiership, the shortest in British history, which triggered days of financial market turmoil and left people struggling with higher mortgage costs.