While several faces are being seen as frontrunners, no clear favourite has emerged so far. However, quoting political analysts, news agency AFP reported that some contenders are already being discounted.
The early favourite is former finance minister Rishi Sunak, who launched his campaign Friday after helping to kickstart the cabinet revolt that led to Johnson's forced resignation Thursday. He is now drawing early fire from Johnson loyalists and rival candidates.
Sunak and former health minister Sajid Javid – who has also declared his candidacy – both resigned late Tuesday, prompting dozens of more junior colleagues to follow suit.
That forced Johnson to then quit as Tory leader 36 hours later.
Here are the likely successors to Johnson:
- Rishi Sunak
Sunak, UK's first Hindu finance minister, has long been seen as Johnson's most likely successor. However, his prospects were dented earlier this year by questions over his private wealth and family's tax arrangements.
While he won plaudits for shoring up the economy during the pandemic, his apparent reluctance to embrace the immediate tax cuts being promised by rivals could harm his prospects.
But a recent poll of Conservative members who will eventually vote for their new leader put him on top.
Sunak, 42, launched his bid in a slick video posted to Twitter on Friday.
- Jeremy Hunt
Former foreign and health secretary Hunt, who had lost to Johnson in 2019, confirmed on Saturday that he will run again.
A supporter of remaining inside the European Union during the 2016 referendum, he has revealed Brexiteer Ester McVey will be his deputy if he wins.
Hunt, 55, has vowed to cut corporation tax from 25 to 15%.
- Liz Truss
Foreign secretary Truss is widely expected to stand but is yet to say so.
The 46-year-old is popular among Conservative members for her outspokenness. However, questions about her judgement were raised for the same reason when in February she encouraged Britons to fight in Ukraine.
Critics say her leadership posturing is too overt.
When she headed the Department for International Trade, some MPs dubbed it the "Department for Instagramming Truss" because of her prolific output on the social media site.
- Sajid Javid
Javid, who also quit as health secretary on Tuesday and had previously resigned as finance minister in 2020, announced his candidacy on Saturday.
The 52-year-old son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver was previously a high-flying banker.
Like Sunak, he also faces questions about his personal wealth and tax affairs but tried to brush them off in media interviews, promising a raft of tax cuts.
- Nadhim Zahawi
Newly appointed finance minister Zahawi was praised for overseeing Britain's pandemic vaccines rollout, before helming the education department.
The 55-year-old is a former refugee from Iraq who came to Britain as a child speaking no English. Before entering politics, he co-founded the prominent polling company YouGov.
But his private wealth has also drawn adverse attention, including when he claimed parliamentary expenses for heating his horse stables.
His fledgling campaign was endangered Sunday after newspapers reported he is being investigated by UK tax authorities, though he has denied wrongdoing.
- Tom Tugendhat
The 49-year-old chairs parliament's influential Foreign Affairs Committee and was the first to launch his bid.
A former army officer who served in the Middle East, he is also a hawk on China and has been critical of the government's handling of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Tugendhat is pitching himself as a "clean start" after Johnson's turbulent three-year tenure.
- Penny Mordaunt
Mordaunt, 49, the first woman to have been UK defence secretary and currently a trade minister, was the latest to join the contest, announcing in a video posted to social media Sunday.
A strong Brexit supporter and key figure in the 2016 "Leave" campaign, she has been tipped as a potential unity candidate who could draw support from the Conservative party's warring factions.
- Suella Braverman
Attorney general and arch-Brexiteer Braverman declared her campaign in mid-week media interviews.
The 42-year-old is popular within the party for her Euroscepticism.
She is one of 28 so-called "Spartan" Tory MPs, who refused to back ex-Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal on all three occasions it was voted on in parliament.
- Grant Shapps
Transport Secretary Shapps emerged onto the crowded field on Saturday, also promising tax cuts and competent government.
The 53-year-old is seen as an effective communicator and campaigner, but considered a long shot for the top job.
- Kemi Badenoch
Former equalities minister Badenoch, who resigned Wednesday, has the lowest profile of the current contenders and is another unlikely victor.
The 42-year-old has promised to tell "the truth", saying people are "exhausted by platitudes and empty rhetoric".
