Rishi Sunak Close to Clinching Spot in Runoff for U.K. Prime Minister

LONDON – The competition for a new British prime minister takes an unusual turn: Conservative lawmakers are uniting behind the former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunaka candidate that the party’s broader constituency doesn’t seem to like.

Mr Sunak was within striking distance on Tuesday to win enough Tory lawmakers to back him into the next round of the contest, where he and another opponent will tour Britain and court 150,000 Conservative Party members. These members vote to choose the next Prime Minister, with a winner announced on September 5th.