ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi-Kurdish Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi laid out his plans for the future of the UK on Tuesday in his announcement to join the run to be Boris Johnson’s successor as prime minister, days after he called on Johnson to resign.
Five days after UK’s Johnson resigned as prime minister, Zahawi said he is running for the premiership alongside 11 other MPs who will take part in the contest for the leadership of the ruling Conservative Party.
“With a plan to deliver, and a track record of success, I am running to be your next leader,” Zahawi wrote on Twitter.
The competition for the leadership was triggered when Johnson was forced to step down following the resignation of more than 50 MPs from his government who opposed his scandal-hit premiership.
Nominations for the role will open and close on Tuesday and a new PM will be announced on September 5, the Conservative Party said on Monday.
Zahawi, 55, rode a political roller coaster last week where he called on the outgoing PM to “go now” three days after Johnson promoted him from education secretary to chancellor of the exchequer.
“The country deserves a Government that is not only stable but which acts with integrity, Zahawi wrote in a letter directed to Johnson.
Several social media users welcomed Zahawi’s announcement, while others rejected it completely.
“Nadhim is the epitome of the British dream, equipped with the clear vision and rich experience needed to lead our country forward,” wrote one user.
“Oh dear,” said another.
Zahawi arrived in the UK as a child from Iraq with his Kurdish family without speaking any English at the time. He started his political career in 2010 when he was elected as Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon.
He is one of the UK’s richest MPs having made a considerable amount of money from the oil industry. His wealth has drawn attention and criticism, particularly when he claimed parliamentary expenses in 2013 for heating his horse stables, according to AFP.
The British press has also considerably reported on his private wealth and companies, now mostly owned by his wife.[1]