2 weeks Ago By Jack Maidment
Dame Priti Patel is set to formally launch her Tory leadership bid as she delivers her first major speech of the campaign. The former home secretary will set out her plan to rejuvenate the Conservative Party and her vision for improving the nation. She is expected to tell Conservative members that she is the candidate best placed to ensure the Tories have “all the tools needed” to take on Labour and to “send Starmer packing”.
Dame Priti is one of six candidates standing to be Rishi Sunak’s replacement, along with James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch, Mel Stride, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat. Tory MPs will start voting next week to eliminate two candidates from the race, with the remaining four going on to make their case to members at Conservative Party conference at the end of Sept. You can follow the latest updates below and join the conversation in the comments section here .
Dame Priti Patel’s speech this morning will be the second Tory leadership address of the week. Tom Tugendhat delivered a speech yesterday afternoon in which he pledged to introduce a legally-binding annual cap on net migration of 100,000 if he becomes leader. You cna read the write-up of Mr Tugendhat’s speech here .
The House of Commons will return from its summer recess on Monday next week and Tory MPs will vote for the first time in the leadership contest on Wednesday Sept 4. There are six candidates - James Cleverly, Dame Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, Mel Stride and Robert Jenrick - and Tory MPs will be tasked with whittling the list down to four. The first vote to eliminate a candidate is on Sept 4 and a second vote to eliminate a second candidate will take place on Monday Sept 9.
The four remaining candidates will then make their case to members at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham between Sept 29 and Oct 2. Tory MPs will then vote between Oct 9-10 to eliminate two more candidates, leaving a final duo who will face a ballot of Conservative Party members. Member voting will close at 5pm on Oct 31 and Rishi Sunak’s replacement will then be announced on Nov 2.
Dame Priti Patel will deliver her first major speech of the Tory leadership campaign at 11.30am as the race to replace Rishi Sunak approaches its next big milestone. The former home secretary will use an address in central London to set out her vision for the country and the future of the Conservative Party.
She will tell Tory members that she is the candidate who is best placed to give the Conservative Party the tools it needs to take on Labour and to “send Starmer packing”. Dame Priti is one of six candidates in the race, along with Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, Mel Stride, Robert Jenrick and James Cleverly. Tory MPs will start voting next week to whittle the field of six down to four.
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