Conservative MPs will begin whittling down the management candidates to 4 subsequent week, the primary stage in a protracted contest from which a winner won’t emerge till 2 November. Listed below are the six candidates within the operating to interchange Rishi Sunak.
Kemi Badenoch
The previous enterprise secretary is a detailed ally of Michael Gove and has numerous ex-ministerial endorsements, together with from Jesse Norman and Andrew Bowie. A key determine on the celebration’s proper, Badenoch has by no means been afraid to wade into the tradition wars, together with on women-only areas and race discrimination.
The Guardian revealed she had been accused of making an intimidating ambiance within the Division for Enterprise and Commerce, which she used to run, with some colleagues describing it as poisonous.
Odds: 2/1
Robert Jenrick
The previous immigration minister has based mostly his marketing campaign on the necessity to win again Reform voters and has develop into the favorite candidate of many key figures on the celebration’s proper, together with John Hayes, Christopher Chope and Danny Kruger.
Jenrick stop Sunak’s authorities over a failure to enact the Rwanda deportation scheme and produce down migration numbers, although he had beforehand been near the previous prime minister.
Odds: 13/10
Tom Tugendhat
Usually seen as the intense hope of the one nation Tory centrists, the previous safety minister chaired the international affairs choose committee has frolicked over the summer season attempting to succeed in throughout the celebration and expel doubts about him as a liberal remainer.
A former soldier who was a key critic of Boris Johnson’s administration, he has high-profile backers, together with Damian Inexperienced and Jake Berry, however lots of them are now not MPs.
Odds: 4/1
James Cleverly
Cleverly is the candidate who has held essentially the most high-profile jobs in authorities – each house secretary and international secretary – and he has additionally been celebration chair so is acquainted and fashionable with grassroots members.
He has billed himself because the celebration’s nice unifier however, having served underneath so many alternative prime ministers, critics say they’ve little thought of what his personal politics and concepts are.
Odds: 5/1
Priti Patel
As the previous house secretary who launched the Rwanda scheme, Patel can be fashionable with the Tory grassroots and is near Johnson.
She has spent a interval within the wilderness since resigning as house secretary with the approaching premiership of Liz Truss, and is seen by many to be politically poisonous due to the failure of the Rwanda scheme and bullying allegations that have been upheld towards her on the Residence Workplace.
Odds: 12/1
Mel Stride
Stride was the designated “minister for the Today programme” in the course of the election, being one of many few cupboard ministers who was not defending a marginal seat and was nonetheless near Sunak.
The previous work and pensions secretary has the least resourced operation however has garnered a powerful variety of endorsements from MPs – although only a few anticipate him to make it by way of the primary rounds of voting.
Odds: 33/1
