The Sunday Times reported that the current Home Secretary, Priti Patel, is seriously considering a run to become the next Prime Minister and Conservative Party Leader.

This follows a week of political scandals of Christmas parties being held at Downing Street during lockdown in late 2020 with PM Boris Johnson at the centre of criticism. Many Conservative MPs have expressed anger and disappointment at Boris Johnson's leadership of the party and of the country. If a total of 54 MPs demand a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson, he could be removed from the position.

Priti Patel had backed Boris Johnson in 2019 as Leader of the Conservative Party. She is not the only potential candidate to replace the PM. Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Minister Liz Truss already have donors lined up, according to the Sunday Times. Other possible candidates include Michael Gove, Nadhim Zahawi, Jeremy Hunt, Tom Tugendhat and Matt Hancock.

Patel is the first female British-Asian Conservative MP in history and could follow in the steps of Margaret Thatcher. If Patel succeeds Johnson to become the next Prime Minister, she would be the third female Prime Minister in British history. Before her, Margaret Thatcher led the country between 1979 and 1990 and Theresa May between 2016 and 2019.