Tory leadership race – live: Cleverly hints he will stand in contest with winner to be announced in November

The Tories will kickstart a three-month leadership contest to replace Rishi Sunak this week

Kwasi Kwarteng refuses to rule out Tory comeback from himself or Liz Truss

The Conservative Party will appoint a new leader on November 2 to replace Rishi Sunak.

Shadow home secretary James Cleverly has thrown his hat into the ring and said there is a “reasonable chance” he will stand for the party leadership.

There will potentially be a crowded field in the race and Mr Cleverly acknowledged he is not the only one giving it “serious thought”.

The 1922 Committee of backbenchers has agreed the rules and timeline for the leadership contest.

Mr Sunak will stay acting leader until a successor is appointed, and urged for “a smooth and orderly transition to a new Leader of the Opposition”.

Nominations will kick off on Wednesday evening and close in the afternoon on 29 July. Each candidate will need a proposer, seconder and eight nominations to qualify.

Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, and Priti Patel, the ex-home secretary, are likely to represent the right of the party in the contest.

Tom Tugendhat and ex-work and pensions secretary Mel Stride are expected to run as centrist candidates.

Another possible Tory leadership race contender on the party’s right is Kemi Badenoch, while Jeremy Hunt and Victoria Atkins are among more moderate figures who could launch bids.

Key Points

• New Conservative leader to be named on 2 November, party announces
• Cleverly not ruling out running as the next Tory leader
• Priti Patel ‘to run’ in leadership race
• Suella Braverman’s Tory leadership bid ‘dead before it starts’
• Contest could drag on until end of the year, ex-minister says
• Runners and riders: Who will vie to replace Rishi Sunak?

[23 July 2024 10:00 · Jabed Ahmed]

Cleverly warns Tories against factional fighting ahead of leadership race

[23 July 2024 09:45 · Jabed Ahmed]

Robert Jenrick emerges as frontrunner in new poll

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has been chosen as the favourite amongst among party members, according to a new poll.

Mr Jenrick, who quit Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet over the Rwanda Bill, emerged ahead of Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, Dame Priti Patel and Suella Braverman.

Conservative members were asked in a poll by The Telegraph to rank their top four choices for next leader from a list of candidates who have signalled they will run.

Some 55 per cent of members listed Mr Jenrick as one of their top choices for next leader.

[23 July 2024 09:30 · Jabed Ahmed]

Conduct Tory leadership bid ‘with civility’, Lord Houchen urges Braverman

[23 July 2024 09:15 · Jabed Ahmed]

How does the Tory leadership contest work?

The three month process will begin this week, with the winner announced on 2 November.

Nominations will open on Wednesday and candidates need the the backing of 10 MPs to enter the first round of voting.

MPs will narrow this down to four candidates, who will then have a chance to speak to party members at the Conservative conference which starts on 29 September.

It will then be whittled down to two candidates, with the final winner chosen by Conservative Party members in an online ballot.

Rishi Sunak will remain the acting leader until November.

(PA Wire)

[23 July 2024 08:57 · Jabed Ahmed]

Who is in the running and what are their odds?

[23 July 2024 08:46 · Jabed Ahmed]

Mel Stride confirms he is considering Tory leadership bid

[23 July 2024 08:35 · Jabed Ahmed]

Cleverly hints he has the backing of enough MPs

James Cleverly has said “there is a reasonable chance” he will throw his hat in the ring for the Tory leadership.

Asked whether he had the backing of 10 MPs, needed to enter the first round of voting, the Conservative frontbencher told Sky News: “I’ve had lots of very kind words from colleagues, both former colleagues and current colleagues.”

After Suella Braverman warned that the party risks becoming “centrist cranks”, Mr Cleverly said: “Trying to carve up and divide up and factionalise … is the wrong way of thinking.”

[23 July 2024 08:09 · Salma Ouaguira]

Cleverly not ruling out running as the next Tory leader

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly has refused to rule out running as the next Tory leader.

The senior Conservative told BBC Breakfast: “That is tomorrow’s work. I am going to talk about Labour’s catastrophic start in the home affairs portfolio.

“The leadership is important but what is actually my job at the moment is holding Labour to account and that is incredibly important because they are dropping the ball and it is being missed because of course there are other events going on, the Conservative leadership contest for example.

“But they are making terrible mistakes and it is not being noticed and it should be noticed because this goes to the heart of the security of our borders and our ability to make sure this country is safe.”

(BBC)

[23 July 2024 08:00 · Salma Ouaguira]

New Conservative leader to be named on 2 November, party announces

The next Conservative leader will be announced on 2 November, the party has said. 

The person chosen to replace Rishi Sunak will be named just days before the US presidential election, which is on 5 November.

The 1922 Committee has drawn up a timetable for the contest after the party suffered the worst general election result in its parliamentary history.

Former business secretary Kemi Badenoch and ex-foreign secretary James Cleverly are expected to pitch themselves as candidates aiming to bring the right and centrist wings of the party together after the humiliating defeat on 4 July.

Mr Sunak said: “It’s in the national interest for us to have a smooth and orderly transition to a new leader of the opposition, so I will stay in post until November 2nd, and the result of our leadership election.

“This will allow our party to fulfil its role as the official opposition professionally and effectively. I believe this is what is best for the Conservative Party and, most importantly, our country.

“It would be inappropriate for me to make any comment about the leadership campaign or candidates. I am confident that this timetable decided by the party board and the 1922 Committee will allow for a thoughtful, professional and respectful contest.”

[19 July 2024 20:42 · Andy Gregory]

Suella Braverman rejects suggestions she will defect to Reform UK

Tory leadership hopeful Suella Braverman has rejected suggestions she will likely defect to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK later this year if she loses the contest.

“There’s now so much antagonism towards Suella Braverman among MPs that there is now a generally held view that she will defect,” a senior Tory source told the i newspaper. “If she does, it will be a clear admission that she could not win the leadership and does not have the support of any MPs in the party.”

But a spokesperson for the ex-home secretary denied the claim, telling the outlet: “Suella has only recently been elected as a Conservative MP and has been a Conservative Party member for three decades.”

However, a Reform source was quoted as saying: “We expect her to take a tilt at the Tory leadership and then come over to us, perhaps in the autumn around conference time.

“She’ll fit in well.”