Truss strengthens her front-runner place in Tory leadership race

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U.K. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss cemented her place as front-runner in the race to replace Prime Minister Boris Johnson, winning endorsement Saturday from an influential former rival for the top job.

Tom Tugendhat, who was eliminated from the contest in earlier rounds of voting by Conservative lawmakers, said Truss had the “resolution, determination, and passion” to be prime minister.

British Foreign Secretary and leadership candidate Liz Truss at the Conservative Party leadership election hustings at the Elland Road Conference Centre in Leeds, Britain 28 July 2022. This event is the first of twelve hustings which will take place all around the UK attended by Tory Party members who will vote for the new leader who will be announced on the 05 September 2022. EPA-EFE/PETER POWELL

The endorsement is a blow to ex-Treasury chief Rishi Sunak, the other finalist in the race for the next Conservative leader. The winner will be decided by votes from about 180,000 party members across the country.

Polls give Truss an edge with Tory members, though Sunak is more popular with the general public, who don’t have a say in the race.

AP /MSN