"Today my campaign with party members begins. My campaign will represent the very best of conservative values. I will give everything to earn every vote. Be in no doubt, I am the underdog," Sunak said at the launch of his election campaign in the city of Grantham, Lincolnshire county, as broadcast by Sky News.
On Wednesday, the UK saw the fifth round of the voting in the Tories' leader race, with Sunak coming first with 137 votes and UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss overtaking the third candidate, junior trade minister Penny Mordaunt, with 113 votes to Mordaunt's 105.
A YouGov poll published on Thursday showed that over 60% of UK Conservative Party members are prepared to vote for Truss, while her opponent Sunak is likely to get 40% of the votes.