Race to lead UK heats up, ex-finance minister Sunak's lead narrows

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, July 18, 2022. Frank Augstein/Pool via REUTERS

LONDON (Reuters) -British former finance minister Rishi Sunak held on to his lead on Tuesday among Conservative lawmakers in the race to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, but his two remaining rivals were closing the gap, leaving the race wide open.

In a vote among Conservative Party members of parliament, Kemi Badenoch, a former equalities minister, was knocked out, leaving Sunak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Penny Mordaunt, a junior trade minister, as the remaining candidates.