This afternoon, Liz Truss announced her intention to step down as leader of the Conservative Party after weeks of uncertainty. She said a leadership contest to select her successor would be concluded within a week, which will soon make her the shortest-serving Prime Minister in British history.
A flurry of names have come to the fore as a deeply divided party scrambles to rally behind a successor that can win over a chunk of MPs, Tory members, and the public. The ongoing cost of living crisis, as well as high public dissatisfaction with public services, and rising crime, will leave the next Prime Minister with an unenviable in-tray. Yet what record do these potential runners and riders have with Britain's Jewish communities, and relations with the Jewish State?
Rishi Sunak
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Former chancellor Rishi Sunak is undoubtedly the frontrunner among MPs in the race to replace Liz Truss. The ex-hedge fund manager told a Conservative Friends of Israel hustings in July that he recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s “historic capital”. He agreed with Ms Truss there was a “very strong case” for relocating the British embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The Richmond MP also told the audience that he was committed to the construction of the controversial Westminster Holocaust memorial in Victoria Embankment gardens, and vowed to get BDS restrictions on the legislative agenda.
In an August interview with the JC, he described Israel as a “shining beacon of hope”. He also promised to increase spending on Jewish security organisations such as the Community Security Trust, expressing how he felt “horrified” by the need for security outside Jewish faith schools.
But while "Dishy Rishi" was catnip to the commentariat during the heady days of "eat out to help out", his perception as a traitor to Mr Johnson, his billionaire status as cost of living issues rumble on, not to mention his own "Partygate" fine, Mr Sunak will a barrage of challenges even if he does make the top job.
Boris Johnson
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In 2020, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson described himself as “a life-long friend, admirer, and supporter of Israel,” but said he was “fearful” that Netanyahu’s plans to annex the West Bank “will fail in their objective of securing Israel’s borders and will be contrary to Israel’s own long-term interests.”
However, he stressed that he was “immensely proud” of the 1917 Balfour Declaration that laid the groundwork for a Jewish State in Israel, but that the project would “remain unfinished business until there is a solution which provides justice and lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
In 2021, Johnson told the Conservative Friends of Israel that he opposed a proposed International Criminal Court probe into alleged Israeli war crimes in the West Bank and Gaza. This reiterated his slamming of the United Nations' "anti-Israel" bias during his brief stint as Foreign Secretary.
In an online Pesach message published last Spring, Johnson, whose own maternal great-grandfather Elias Avery Lowe, was a Russian Jew, referred to “kvetching” around the Seder table.
On a visit to Northern Ireland in May, he told a Belfast Synagogue that he would work to maintain supplies of kosher meat to the Brutish region as the post-Brexit red tape has in part pushed up prices.
The Schools Bill launched by Boris Johnson's administration has been heavily critiqued by some religious organisations due to its plans to enforce stricter rules on religious schools. Just this month a protest against the plans was held in Westminster, and some strictly Orthodox parents say they may send their children to Belgium it passes.
While Johnson remains popular with some Tory members, he will struggle to gain enough MPs' support given his extensive record of scandal and the ongoing probe into whether he misled the Commons over "Partygate". While allies are keen to tout his 2019 election win, the ex-PM now polls fairly poorly in every region of the country from the Red Wall to the True Blue seats of the South East.
Penny Mordaunt
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Mordaunt faced criticism from anti-racism campaigners during her summer leadership campaign after her meeting with the controversial Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) was discussed.
The UK government severed ties with the body in 2009 after its deputy general secretary, Dr Daud Abdullah, signed a declaration urging for Muslims to take part in jihad against Israel.
Ms Mordaunt publicised her meeting with the group in February, writing and tweeting how she had met with MCB Secretary General Zara Mohammed to “wish her every success and hear more about her plans”. “Look forward to working with her and her team.”
During her tenure as International Development Secretary under Theresa May, she rowed with Emily Thornberry after the latter slammed Mordaunt’s criticism of Unesco’s anti-Israeli bias. Ms Thornberry accused Mordaunt of aiming to “curry favour with Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu”.
As women and equalities minister, Ms Mordaunt said she was keen to stamp out the “vicious” antisemitic abuse faced by a number of female Labour MPs, suggesting that their experience could discourage women from aspiring to public life.
There has been much chatter of a joint Sunak-Mordaunt ticket, but it seems MPs-and indeed the potential PMs themselves- are struggling to reach an agreement.
Brandon Lewis
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As Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Times Radio in July that the Northern Ireland Protocol meant the region’s Jewish community “can’t technically practise their religion” due to difficulties importing kosher food from the UK while Northern Ireland remains in the customs union.
He faced backlash over these comments as while obtaining kosher supplies has faced more barriers since the implementation of the post-Brexit arrangement, it is still possible for the community to maintain religious observance.
In August Mr Lewis implied to Sky News that the EU was to blame for the issues, having attempted "blocking" kosher imports.
When quizzed over then leadership candidate Liz Truss' allegations of “wokeism” in the civil service that "strays into antisemitism," he argued that there were indeed "challenges in the Foreign Office".
Mr Lewis is not yet well-known to voters, possibly with the exception of Northern Irish constituents. However, sources close to the newly appointed Justice Secretary are positioning him as a unity candidate due to his relative isolation from this Summer's tense leadership campaigns.
