LONDON: The Conservative Party's 1922 Committee said that eight people have put themselves forward to lead the party and succeed the departing Boris Johnson as prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt, backbencher Tom Tugendhat, Attorney General Suella Braverman, newly appointed Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch, and former Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt are the eight candidates who were successful in obtaining the necessary support of at least 20 Conservative lawmakers.

According to the rules set by the 1922 Committee, which oversees the leadership contest, the first round of voting among Tory lawmakers will take place on Wednesday, and only those candidates who receive at least 30 votes can enter the second ballot, which is scheduled to take place on Thursday.

Before British lawmakers break for the summer session on July 21, the field of competitors will be reduced to two through additional rounds of secret voting. The top two candidates will then face off in a postal vote throughout the course of the summer among the approximately 200,000 Conservative members, with the winner being declared on September 5 and becoming the new Tory leader and UK prime minister.

An onslaught of cabinet ministers and other junior government officials resigning in protest over Johnson's scandal-plagued leadership led him to concede defeat on Thursday, which ignited the Tory leadership contest. Up until a new Tory leader takes over, Johnson is still acting as prime minister.

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