How did the 2022 Conservative leadership race narrow to two candidates?
This analysis details the procedural steps and political pressures that reduced the 2022 Conservative leadership contest to a final two, leading to Liz Truss's election on September 5, 2022.
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“How did the 2022 Conservative leadership race narrow to two candidates?” thisDay, thisday.info/history/july-september-2022-conservative-party-leadership-election-2022/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
How did the 2022 Conservative leadership race narrow to two candidates? (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/july-september-2022-conservative-party-leadership-election-2022/
“How did the 2022 Conservative leadership race narrow to two candidates?” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/july-september-2022-conservative-party-leadership-election-2022/.
Expectation vs. Outcome in the Final Phase
The final weeks of the campaign highlighted the tension between public debate and the internal party vote.
| The plan needed | What happened | Why it mattered |
|---|---|---|
| Candidates would debate cost-of-living measures during the final London hustings on August 31. | The event took place as scheduled, with Truss and Sunak discussing tax cuts and energy prices. | It served as the last public platform before the ballot closed on September 2. |
| The winner would be announced on the day Parliament returned, September 5. | Sir Graham Brady announced Liz Truss as the winner on that specific date. | This timing allowed the new leader to finalize Cabinet choices immediately. |
| Boris Johnson would remain Prime Minister until his successor was elected. | Johnson stayed in office until September 6, when he tendered his resignation. | This constitutional step ensured a smooth transition of power to Truss. |
The Collapse of Johnson's Authority
Boris Johnson’s premiership ended abruptly on July 7, 2022, when he announced his resignation as Leader of the Conservative Party. The situation escalated further with the Chris Pincher scandal in July 2022, which triggered a government crisis. Between July 5 and 7, a wave of departures swept through the administration, involving over 60 senior figures including ministers, parliamentary private secretaries, trade envoys, and party vice-chairmen. This mass resignation marked the largest in British history and signaled a complete loss of confidence among previously supportive MPs.
Johnson had initially won a confidence vote by Conservative MPs in June 2022, but the subsequent resignations made his position untenable. He announced that he would remain as Prime Minister until a successor was elected, a constitutional arrangement that kept the government functioning during the transition. The leadership election was formally triggered by his resignation as party leader, setting the stage for a contest to determine his replacement. The immediate context included the aftermath of the 2019 election, where Johnson had secured the Conservatives' biggest majority since 1987, but that political capital had been eroded by the scandals and the loss of his working majority to defections and suspensions.
Narrowing the Field to Two
Voting for the leadership election took place between July 13 and September 2, 2022. The process involved a series of MP ballots designed to narrow the list of candidates. These internal party votes gradually eliminated contenders until only two remained: Liz Truss, who served as Foreign Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, and Rishi Sunak, who had served as Chancellor of the Exchequer until July 5. Truss had held various Cabinet positions under three prime ministers, including David Cameron and Theresa May, while Sunak had been prominent in the government's financial response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduction to a final two marked the transition from an internal MP contest to a broader party member vote.
The final phase of the campaign focused on the two remaining candidates as they competed for the support of Conservative party members. Sunak, who had received high approval ratings early in the pandemic, saw his popularity decline amid the cost-of-living crisis of 2022. Truss, meanwhile, positioned herself as a candidate who could address the energy crisis and cut taxes. The narrowing of the field was a procedural necessity, ensuring that the final decision would be made by the party membership rather than just the parliamentary caucus. This mechanism allowed for a direct test of the candidates' appeal to the broader party base, culminating in the final ballot sent to members via post.
The Final Hustings and Vote
The final weeks of the race were dominated by a series of public debates, known as hustings, where Truss and Sunak presented their visions for the UK economy. The candidates competed in 11 hustings, with the last one taking place on August 31, 2022, in London. This final event was streamed online and focused on tax cuts and the cost-of-living crisis, particularly after Ofgem confirmed an 80% rise in the energy price cap. The price cap increase meant the average household’s yearly bill would jump from £1,971 to £3,549 from October. The hustings provided a platform for the candidates to lock horns over these critical economic issues, aiming to win over undecided party members in the days before the vote closed.
Ballots were sent to Tory party members via post between August 1 and August 5, 2022. The vote officially closed at 5pm on Friday, September 2, with ballots received after that time not being counted. This deadline marked the end of the campaigning period and the beginning of the counting process. The candidate who received the most votes from Tory party members would become the new leader of the Conservative Party and the next Prime Minister. The timing of the vote closure was crucial, as it allowed for a clear and definitive result to be announced shortly after, ensuring a swift transition of power. The final days of the campaign were intense, with both candidates hoping to secure the necessary support to claim the leadership.
Declaration and Immediate Transition
Liz Truss secured the UK Conservative Party leadership on September 5, 2022, defeating Rishi Sunak. Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbench MPs, made the announcement on the day Parliament returned. Truss assumed the premiership on September 6, 2022, after Boris Johnson tendered his resignation to the Queen. In her victory speech, Truss thanked Johnson and stated that her new government would cut taxes and deal with the energy crisis. The transition was swift, with Johnson expected to visit the Queen at Buckingham Palace to formally resign, although reports suggested the Queen might stay at Balmoral Castle in Scotland for this constitutional duty.
Truss’s tenure as Prime Minister was brief, lasting only 50 days before she resigned amid an economic and political crisis. This made her the shortest-serving prime minister in British history. She was subsequently succeeded by Rishi Sunak, who won the leadership contest to replace her in October 2022. Sunak, who had spent the duration of Truss’s premiership on the backbenches, was elected unopposed to lead the party. The rapid succession of leadership changes highlighted the instability within the Conservative Party during this period. The documented outcome of the September 5 election was the immediate formation of a new government, with Truss finalizing her Cabinet choices and writing her first prime ministerial speech on the day of her announcement.
Timeline: Liz Truss elected Conservative leader
- July 7, 2022 Boris Johnson announces resignation as party leader
- July 13, 2022 Voting for the leadership election begins
- August 31, 2022 Final official hustings held in London
- September 2, 2022 Ballots close at 5pm
- September 5, 2022 Liz Truss declared winner by Sir Graham Brady
- September 6, 2022 Truss assumes the premiership
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Cite this page
“How did the 2022 Conservative leadership race narrow to two candidates?” thisDay, thisday.info/history/july-september-2022-conservative-party-leadership-election-2022/. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.
How did the 2022 Conservative leadership race narrow to two candidates? (n.d.). thisDay. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://thisday.info/history/july-september-2022-conservative-party-leadership-election-2022/
“How did the 2022 Conservative leadership race narrow to two candidates?” thisDay. Accessed October 19, 2026. https://thisday.info/history/july-september-2022-conservative-party-leadership-election-2022/.