LONDON — Six British lawmakers entered the race to lead the defeated Conservative Party by Monday’s deadline, setting the stage for a contest that will determine whether the opposition party veers to the right or moves toward the political center.
Contenders include former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and lawmaker Tom Tugendhat from the party’s centrist faction. Former Home Secretary Priti Patel and ex-Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch have support from the party’s right wing. Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister, and veteran lawmaker Mel Stride also secured the required backing of 10 Conservative lawmakers.
Badenoch, who finished third in the party’s last leadership election in 2022, emerged as the early favorite among bookmakers. The Nigeria-raised lawmaker echoed language reminiscent of Conservative icon Margaret Thatcher, advocating for “a renewal for capitalism” centered around a smaller state and urging the party to convince voters “why conservatism should matter.”
Following the party’s devastating election defeat this month, which saw it lose votes to both right- and left-wing parties, Conservatives are divided. Moderates seek to reclaim centrist voters, while hard-liners push for stricter migration and law and order policies to regain ground lost to the Reform U.K. party, led by anti-immigration figure Nigel Farage.
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, a prominent figure on the party’s right, announced Sunday that she would not run. Braverman urged the party to reach out to Reform and welcome Farage into its ranks, though she lamented that her Conservative colleagues often branded her as “mad, bad and dangerous.”
The Conservatives were ousted by voters in a July 4 election, leading to a Labour landslide and ending 14 years of Conservative rule under five prime ministers. The party was reduced to 121 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, marking their worst-ever result.
The Tories’ turbulent tenure included several economic shocks: years of austerity, Brexit, a global pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Internal scandals and controversies also plagued the party, notably during Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s tenure and the economic turmoil under his successor Liz Truss.
The contest to replace former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will span over three months. Sunak will remain as the acting leader of the Conservatives until his successor is announced on Nov. 2.
Conservative lawmakers will narrow the field through a series of votes to four contenders, who will then make their pitches at the party’s annual conference in early October. Lawmakers will select two final candidates, who will be subjected to an online vote by Conservative members nationwide.
The party’s previous leadership selection in mid-2022 saw members choose Truss over Sunak. Truss resigned after just 49 days in office when her tax-cutting plans caused financial turmoil. The party then chose Sunak to succeed her.
The Conservatives are now engulfed in recriminations over their electoral defeat. Bob Blackman, head of the committee overseeing the leadership contest, warned candidates against publicly attacking rivals, emphasizing that such behavior contributed to the party’s poor performance in the general election. “We are determined that we will not tolerate that happening,” he said. — Agencies
