Sunak to become British PM as Mordaunt drops out of leadership race

Seven weeks after losing to Liz Truss in this year’s first Tory leadership contest, Rishi Sunak has emerged victor in this latest one.

He is set become the UK’s first British Asian prime minister, and will take office as the UK faces enormous economic challenges.

The room in parliament where Sir Graham Brady had been about to announce the results of the nominations fell silent Sunday morning as MPs and journalists heard the news that Penny Mordaunt had conceded.

Some Rishi Sunak supporters looked pleased, unsurprisingly.

He will now be the next Conservative party leader and therefore prime minister.

Mordaunt says she is proud of the campaign she ran but Sunak has her full support.

The ex-chancellor gained the support of well over half of Tory MPs, with Mordaunt struggling to reach the 100 MP threshold.

Labour have reiterated their call for a general election, as have the Scottish National Party