UK politics live: Rishi Sunak praises Boris Johnson’s withdrawal as nominations deadline looms

If he finds himself as prime minister, possibly as soon as Monday, Sunak will have to find depths of political creativity and diplomacy to deal with a nightmare in-tray. He has been an MP for just seven years, and was a cabinet minister for only two, and even colleagues who back him for the premiership acknowledge he has no breadth of experience across departments to prepare him for the multiple crises piling up on all fronts.

From the NHS still struggling with Covid, to the economic situation, to the prospect of energy blackouts and a threatened winter of discontent with strikes, the UK is facing a phenomenally difficult six months.

The Conservatives are also deeply divided in parliament. A broad spectrum of MPs have come out for Sunak, from Suella Braverman and Steve Baker on the right to Bob Neill and Stephen Hammond from the centrist wing, and he will have made many promises in order to extract such support, from Eurosceptics in particular.

Many of the dilemmas that Truss faced still remain. Does he go for growth on the back of higher immigration, or stick to post-Brexit promises of tougher curbs? Can he keep to Johnson’s 2019 promises of no return to austerity, or will he argue that the current market conditions mean cuts are essential?

Does he ask the public to try to cut back their energy use to avoid winter blackouts? Will he take a conciliatory position towards striking public sector workers or try to turn it into a culture war issue with Labour? No one knows, because he has done no media interviews since Truss resigned on Thursday:

Related: Tories willing to cut Rishi Sunak some slack but same tough choices remain