Conservative Leadership Race Kicks Off After Historic Election Defeat: Who’s In the Running?

The race to find a new leader for the Conservatives after the worst election result in the party’s history is now beginning. But don’t hold onto them too tight.

It will be over three months– a quarter of a year – before Rishi Sunak’s successor is finally announced on November 2.

Nominations opened yesterday, and so far, three men have put their names forward: James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, and Robert Jenrick. But we’re expecting a few more candidates to emerge, representing almost the entire ideological spectrum that fits under the Tory banner.

The result may be yet another bitter battle for the soul of the UK’s most successful political party, of the kind we’ve become used to since Brexit. Only this time, they’re vying to become Leader of the Opposition rather than Prime Minister, at least for the time being.

James Cleverly

James Cleverly served in Cabinet under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak (Picture: Daniel Leal/AFP)

Cleverly has been one of the most high-profile Conservative MPs in the House of Commons for years. He had a spell as party chairman under Boris Johnson, who later appointed him Education Secretary. Liz Truss made him the first Black Foreign Secretary in UK history, and he stayed in that position when Rishi Sunak took over.

When Suella Braverman was sacked as Home Secretary, Cleverly was appointed to replace her. This made him the final figurehead for the government’s Rwanda deportation scheme – which he reportedly once described as ‘bats**t’. He’s considered a slick media performer who might be able to act as a bridge between the party’s right-wing and centre.

Tom Tugendhat

Tom Tugendhat boosted his profile in the July 2022 Tory leadership contest (Picture: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Shutterstock)

As a former Territorial Army officer, Tugendhat is the only one on this list who has never served as a Secretary of State. However, he’s served in Cabinet as the Minister for Security and spent five years as the chairman of the influential Foreign Affairs Select Committee.

Tugendhat first came to the general public’s attention as a candidate in the Conservative leadership contest that followed Boris Johnson’s resignation in July 2022. He’s considered close to the centre of the Tories ideologically, and a recent Savanta poll found he was the most popular leadership contender among the public and 2024 Tory voters. However, he could struggle to wrangle the party’s more fervently right-wing MPs.

Robert Jenrick

Robert Jenrick hopes to win with his stance on immigration (Picture: Thomas Krych/ZUMA Press Wire/Shu)

Jenrick, a former Housing Secretary, reportedly spent the days after the General Election calling around new and old MPs to set himself up as a potential leadership candidate. In his media appearances since, he has focused his attention on immigration, an issue that defined much of his work in parliament since 2022.

He was appointed Immigration Minister in Rishi Sunak’s first Cabinet after taking over from Liz Truss as PM and stayed in the role for over a year. But he resigned in December 2023, arguing that Sunak’s effort to iron out legal issues with the Rwanda scheme did not go nearly far enough. If the Tories decide they lost the election because their stance on immigration was not hardline enough, Jenrick might be their pick for leader.

Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch is currently the shadow Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary (Picture: Lucy North/PA Wire)

Undoubtedly one of the biggest rising stars to emerge from the Conservative ranks in the past few years, Badenoch (pronounced Bayd-noch) is the bookies’ favourite to take over as leader. While serving as Business Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities, she’s made her name by engaging directly with culture war issues, most prominently surrounding gender.

This wouldn’t be her first shot at party leadership: she previously came fourth in the July 2022 contest, behind Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, and ultimate winner Liz Truss. With Mordaunt and Truss losing their seats and Sunak stepping down, could Badenoch be destined for the top spot? A win for her would be a victory for the party’s right-wing, but MPs believe she can also appeal to the centre.

Priti Patel

Priti Patel might hope to make a political comeback in the contest (Picture: Carl Court/Getty Images)

Remember her? Patel has been on the backbenches for almost two years since she resigned as Home Secretary upon Liz Truss’s arrival as PM. She had a considerable impact over three years in the role, initiating plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda and introducing a new points-based immigration system.

However, she was also found to have breached the Ministerial Code regarding civil servant treatment after allegations of bullying. Boris Johnson received heavy criticism for sticking by her despite the breach. Supporters of Johnson and Truss are reportedly among her fans in parliament, which may boost her candidacy.

Suella Braverman

Suella Braverman was sacked as Home Secretary by two different Prime Ministers (Picture: Jack Taylor/Getty Images)

Braverman, Patel’s successor as Home Secretary, had an equally controversial tenure. After being found to have breached the Ministerial Code, she was sacked by Liz Truss, only to be reinstated by Rishi Sunak shortly thereafter. Known for her strong stance on culture wars and provocative remarks, she has continued to stir controversy.

She criticised the Progress Pride flag at the US National Conservatism Conference earlier this month, igniting further outrage. Her provocative style and vocal criticism of the “wokerati” may appeal to certain factions within the party.

Mel Stride

Mel Stride briefly served as the Leader of the House of Commons under Theresa May (Picture: Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shu)

The outsider bet for the Tory leadership contest, Stride was the Work and Pensions Secretary ahead of the election and has kept that role in the Shadow Cabinet. He appeared more frequently on media rounds during the election campaign than any other government minister.

Stride is viewed within the party as the ultimate moderate, safe pair of hands, a competent media performer with significant experience. Elected to parliament in 2010, he’s a relative veteran on the Tory benches. His retention of his Central Devon seat by just 61 votes highlights his understanding of his party’s political threats.

Sola Adeniji

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