To try and woo the members, whose “loyalty and dedication” she marveled at, the backbench Essex MP pledged to give them a “much greater voice and role” in policy making, offering a democratically elected party chairman. Internally, Patel emphasized the need for rebuttal units and professional party agents to help win seats.
Having spent the last two years on the backbenches, Patel is dubbed a “dark horse” of the campaign who can keep the right wing on side while potentially winning over One Nation centrist MPs averse to a harder-right option.
Though she literally danced with Farage at Conservative Party Conference last year, allies were quick to make clear she would not allow him to rejoin the Tories.
Notable backers: MP for Wetherby and Easingwold Alec Shelbrooke … Former Tech Minister Saqib Bhatti … new Tory MP Andrew Snowden.
Tom Tugendhat
The former security minister and foreign affairs expert ame fifth when he ran for the leadership in 2022 and is broadly seen as being on the one-nation centrist wing of his party. However — as he tries to win over the right of his party — Tugendhat has already promised (vaguely) that he would be prepared to leave the European Convention on Human Rights.
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“Politics, like life, comes down to one simple rule: keep your promises. When the Conservative Party does that, it wins,” he wrote in the Telegraph.
Tugendhat served in the military for 10 years. He entered parliament in 2015, and spent five years chairing the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. He’s unlikely to favor any kind of alliance with Farage, accusing the Reform UK leader of “playing straight into the hands of the Kremlin” by suggesting the West provoked Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade Ukraine.
Notable backers: Former One Nation Tories Chair Damian Green and former Northern Ireland Minister Steve Baker (who penned a joint Telegraph article) … former Tory Chairman Jake Berry … former Tory MP Sara Britcliffe — although all four lost their seats at the election. They’re joined by West Suffolk MP and former Downing Street Chief of Staff Nick Timothy.
Mel Stride
The former work and pensions secretary joined the race Friday morning as a somewhat unexpected addition to the leadership battle.
Stride has the required 10 nominations and says he could help the Conservatives recover from their “very, very difficult place.”
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He became a familiar figure during the election campaign on the morning media rounds, using his frequent appearances as a strength. Stride first entered parliament in 2010 and chaired the Treasury select committee for three years, which he said would help him hold Labour to account on the economy.
Viewed as a more centrist contender, Stride is pitching himself as a unifying figure who can stop the party descend into (more) infighting. His chances of success could be hampered due to only holding his Central Devon seat by 61 votes, meaning he’ll face a serious electoral threat from Labour next time round.
Notable backers: Former Science Minister George Freeman … Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier … New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne.
Who’s keeping out of it?
Suella Braverman
The ex-home secretary would have been the most right-wing of any candidate. She’s called for Britain to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, announced her support for Donald Trump and argued Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage should be allowed to join the Tories.
All that, it seems, was a step too far for the remaining Tory MPs.
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As the deadline for nominations loomed, the former home secretary announced Sunday evening she would not be joining the leadership race. Braverman claimed she had been “vilified by some colleagues” for explaining why the party lost, and said its election defeat was “predicted, preventable, deserved and, as yet, unaddressed.”
Braverman claims she had the necessary 10 MPs to get on the ballot, but stressed there was no point in leading when most colleagues “disagree with my diagnosis and prescription.”
Jeremy Hunt
The shadow chancellor has already had two shots at the leadership in 2019 and 2022, coming second to Boris Johnson back in 2019. After narrowly holding his Surrey seat of Godalming and Ash, Hunt said he did not think it was third time lucky: “No … that time has passed,” he told GB News.
Victoria Atkins
The former health secretary was considered an outside bet for the top Tory job — but she ruled herself out in, you’ve guessed it, the Telegraph.
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She tweeted that she instead wants to help the next leader to “rebuild and renew” the party.
Boris Johnson
No Tory leadership race would be complete without mentioning the former PM. While Johnson did wear the crown as prime minister from 2019 to 2022, he’s no longer in parliament, which makes a bid tricky. The rapturous reception he received at a Tory rally just before polling day shows there is still lots of support for him as a king over the water.
Defeated Tories
No Tory who lost their seat at the election can stand to be leader — for now. Numerous big beasts including former Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt (who twice ran for the leadership), ex-Defense Secretary Grant Shapps and former Transport Secretary Mark Harper were all defeated. Until they find a constituency to stand in, perhaps in a convenient by-election, they’ll just be a voter in the race rather than a participant.
