Who is running in the Conservative Party leadership race?

After the landslide victory for the Labour Party, the race is now on for who will lead the Conservative Party in the wake of Rishi Sunak's defeat.

Rishi Sunak revealed he has a sweet tooth and has an "appalling diet".
Why you can trust Leading wesley

The race to replace Rishi Sunak as Conservative Party leader has started.

With the party now in opposition for the first time since 2010, Tory MPs and members will choose their new leader.

Nominations opened at 7pm on 24 July and will close at 2.30pm on 29 July.

Nominees must have the backing of at least 10 Tory MPs to be on the list, which will be narrowed down to four candidates who will make their case to party members at the Conservative conference this autumn.

The four candidates will be whittled down to the final two, with the winner chosen by party members and announced on 2 November.

We look at who has thrown their hat into the ring, what they believe in and who could put themselves forward.

James Cleverly

Mr Cleverly became the first to officially enter the contest with a post on social media, saying he wanted to "re-establish our reputation as the party who, in government, helps grow the economy, helps people achieve their goals, their dreams, and their aspirations".

The Essex MP, who was home secretary until the last election is being talked about in moderate Tory circles as a candidate who could unify the party.

Mr Cleverly is one of the Tories' most experienced former cabinet ministers, having also been foreign secretary, education secretary and party chairman.

A key part of his brief as home secretary was the plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda - something he is said to have had reservations about in private, despite his denials.

He caused controversy last year - and was forced to apologise - after making a joke about date rape, which he admitted may have undermined the government's work to tackle drink spiking.

It was reported before the election that he would not stand to replace Mr Sunak, but when it came to the crunch, he was eager to put himself forward.

Tom Tugendhat

Mr Tugendhat was the second Tory to put himself forward, just moments after nominations opened.

The former security minister is regarded highly among the One Nation group of moderate Tory MPs.

He said the party needs to regain the British people's trust as the previous government, which he was part of, "just didn't deliver".

Mr Tugendhat also said he would consider leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if it "doesn't serve our interests" - a change in his stance seen as appealing to the right of the party.

He previously ran to be Tory leader after Mr Johnson was ousted, but was knocked out of the race early and later threw his support behind Liz Truss.

Mr Tugendhat is notable for his hawkish stance on China, although this became more muted once he entered government.

He remains sanctioned by China, who claims he - along with four other Tories - "maliciously spread lies" about Beijing's treatment of Uyghur Muslims.

Mr Tugendhat, who held his seat of Tonbridge in Kent, is also a former soldier.

Robert Jenrick

The former immigration minister was the third to announce he was running after Mr Cleverly and Mr Tugendhat.

Mr Jenrick held several ministerial roles, including communities secretary - a position he lost in one of Mr Johnson's reshuffles.

He was originally a Sunak loyalist and was appointed immigration minister, partly to keep the more right-wing Ms Braverman in check, according to reports.

However, Mr Jenrick later hit the headlines when he resigned over Mr Sunak's Rwanda bill, saying he could not continue in his post when he had such "strong disagreements with the direction of the government's policy on immigration".

By the election, he too was acting as a voice on the right of the party.

His Newark seat in the East Midlands had been fairly safe in 2019 - but the result was much closer this time.

However, his past actions - like fast-tracking a £1bn housing development proposed by a Tory donor - might come back to bite him.

Kemi Badenoch

Four other Tory MPs have picked up nomination papers including Ms Badenoch, the ex-business secretary.

She is seen as a darling of the right and has impressed some in the party with her no-nonsense approach.

One of her strongest advocates is Michael Gove, the former levelling up secretary who stood down as an MP at the election.

She ran in the first Tory leadership contest of 2022 following Mr Johnson's resignation. She finished fourth out of eight candidates in the first ballot of MPs, before eventually being eliminated in the fourth round of voting.

Ms Badenoch has been outspoken on issues including women's rights, equality and identity politics.

She held on to her safe seat of Essex North West in the election.

Suella Braverman

Ms Braverman has cultivated a reputation on the right as someone who is not afraid to voice controversial opinions on immigration and law and order.

She was brought in by Mr Sunak to cater to the right of the party as home secretary, where she commanded support.

Her sacking in November 2023 - following comments that homelessness was a "lifestyle choice" - may have affected her standing among Tory MPs.

However, her hardline stance on immigration went down well with parts of the party membership.

She held her Fareham and Waterlooville seat despite a challenge from the Liberal Democrats.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Who should lead the Tories?

Read more:
Who is your local MP now? Find out here
Who won the popular vote?
Which Tory big beasts have lost their seat?

Before the election, Ms Braverman called for the Tories to work with Reform UK - and said the Conservatives should welcome Nigel Farage to the party.

Speaking after her re-election, she apologised and said her party "didn't listen" to the country.

"The country deserves better and we've got to do better and I will do everything in my power to rebuild trust. We need to listen to you - you have spoken to us very clearly," she added.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Leading wesley app for free

Priti Patel

The former home secretary was a key torchbearer for the right before she was eclipsed by Ms Braverman following the demise of Mr Johnson.

The dame has confirmed she is running.

She flew below the radar but made several interventions, including on tax, towards the end of the Conservatives' time in power.

Dame Priti is seen as one of the more traditional right-wing MPs in the party, compared with her successor Ms Braverman, who holds appeal with some of the Tory MPs elected in 2019.

Her seat in Witham, Essex, has been one of the safest in the country, and she held it in the election despite a challenge from Labour.

Another key factor is that she remained loyal to Mr Johnson, and was also popular with Tory members.

Follow Leading wesley on WhatsApp
Follow Leading wesley on WhatsApp

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Leading wesley


Mel Stride Tory leadership GFX

Mr Stride says he is running for the leadership, telling Leading wesley there was a "huge job to do".

A long-standing ally of Mr Sunak, he was dubbed "the minister for the morning round" during the general election campaign, facing the media more than any of his colleagues.

He served as work and pensions secretary through Mr Sunak's premiership, and has stayed on to shadow the role on the opposition benches.

What are the odds for the next leader (via Sky Bet)

  • Kemi Badenoch: 2/1;
  • Robert Jenrick: 5/2;
  • Tom Tugendhat: 9/2:
  • James Cleverly: 11/2;
  • Priti Patel 10/1;
  • Mel Stride: 25/1;
  • Suella Braverman 33/1.

He also had a spell in the Treasury, both as financial secretary and paymaster general, during Theresa May's tenure in Number 10, and went on to chair the Treasury Select Committee between 2019 and 2022.

Before entering the Commons, Mr Stride set up Venture Marketing Group, specialising in trade exhibitions and conferences.