Priti Patel, the former Home Secretary, has been eliminated from the Conservative leadership contest, making her the first candidate to exit the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as Leader of the Opposition. This development leaves five candidates vying for the leadership of a significantly reduced Conservative Parliamentary Party.
Robert Jenrick, currently seen as the favourite, led the first round with 28 votes from Tory MPs. He was closely followed by Kemi Badenoch, who received 22 votes. James Cleverly, another former Home Secretary, garnered 21 votes, positioning him in third place.
Tom Tugendhat, considered an outside contender by many, secured 17 votes, narrowly outpacing Sunak ally Mel Stride who, despite expectations of an early exit, managed to stay in the race with 16 votes.
The current Leader of the Opposition, Rishi Sunak, has opted out of participating in this initial round of voting. The next round, scheduled for the upcoming Tuesday, will further reduce the field to four contenders.
The finalists will present their platforms at the Conservative Party conference at the beginning of October. Subsequent rounds of MP voting will narrow the candidates down to two, between whom party members will choose. The final decision is set to be announced on November 2.
In the lead-up to the next vote, several candidates have ramped up their campaign efforts. As Parliament reconvened, many took to the airwaves, engaging in interviews, delivering speeches, and meeting with Conservative activists throughout the country.
Kemi Badenoch, now a favourite according to bookmakers, has positioned herself to the right politically, criticizing the party’s recent governance by stating at her Monday launch event that the Tories have “talked right but governed left, sounding like Conservatives but acting like Labour.”
Robert Jenrick, seen as a strong contender against Badenoch, has focused his campaign on immigration, pledging to establish a binding cap on legal migrants and proposing an exit from the European Convention on Human Rights.
Tom Tugendhat aims to rebuild public trust with a campaign centered on political integrity, while James Cleverly, the current shadow home secretary, has prioritized enhancing national security, reducing migration, and restoring “confidence in capitalism.”
Dame Priti Patel, despite her early exit, expressed her commitment to returning the Conservative Party to its “winning ways” and highlighted her cabinet experience and initiatives on immigration and policing during her campaign.
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