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Properly, there is really only one plausible choice to replace Liz Truss as UK Tory leader and PM: Boris Johnson. 

Only Johnson can claim to have a popular mandate, from the big election win in 2019. And only Johnson can claim a mandate from the party members—having previously won the leadership, and never having been voted out by the membership.

If they choose Rishi Sunak, it looks like a coup, and an affront to party members. They had just rejected Sunak for Truss. Penny Mordaunt, too just lost the recent leadership election. And has no popular standing. Who else is there?

Johnson was ejected due to scandal. Yet the scandals always seemed trivial. He has now done his time in the back benches.

Some are concerned about a steady hand to counter the economic turmoil. BJ does not have that reputation. Very well: Johnson can make a public commitment to keep Jeremy Hunt as chancellor until the next election; the markets seem to like him. Such an arrangement would have precedent. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown made this deal; so did Jean Chretien and Paul Martin.

I confess to hoping Johnson comes back. He is such a talented politician, and so entertaining, that it just seems a tragic waste for him to leave the stage so soon.

Since this is all so logical, I doubt the UK Tories will do it.