UK Conservatives jostle in crowded, testy leadership race

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Candidates to replace Boris Johnson as Britain’s prime minister are scattering tax-cutting promises to woo their Conservative Party members. They are campaigning as party officials set out rues to narrow the field of almost a dozen candidates to two contenders by next week. Voting starts Wednesday. So far 11 lawmakers are running to succeed Johnson, who quit as party leader last week after months of ethics scandals. Contenders include Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Treasury chief Nadhim Zahawi, former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and trade minister Penny Mordaunt. The new leader will be chosen in a two-stage election by Conservative lawmakers and then the whole party membership. Candidates must be nominated by at least 20 lawmakers to get onto the first ballot.