Odds have favoured Indian-origin Chancellor Rishi Sunak as the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom if Boris Johnson resigns.
Betfair says the clock seems to be ticking for Johnson, who is facing pressure not only from the Opposition but also from within his own Conservative Party to step down in the wake of revelations of a drinks party at Downing Street during the country’s first COVID-19 lockdown in May 2020.
Conspicuously, Sunak was missing from the House of Commons chamber when his boss issued a "heartfelt apology" for the apparent breach of lockdown guidelines.
"I've been on a visit all day today continuing work on our #PlanForJobs as well as meeting MPs to discuss the energy situation,” Sunak tweeted, in an attempt to quash speculation that his absence by Johnson’s side in Parliament was an attempt to distance himself from the embattled party leader.
“The PM was right to apologise and I support his request for patience while Sue Gray carries out her inquiry,” he said.
Johnson’s approval ratings are also at their lowest level yet, with the Tory party falling 10 points behind Opposition Labour, the biggest gap since December 2013. "I want to apologise. I know that millions of people have made extraordinary sacrifices in the last 18 months. I know the rage they feel with me and with the government I lead when they think that in No 10 rules are not being followed,” Johnson said in his Commons statement.