Conservative Party: Who are the candidates to be the next leader?

Who will replace Rishi Sunak as leader of the Conservative Party?

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Six candidates have put themselves forward to be the next Conservative Party leader including: Kemi Badenoch - she was first elected as an MP in 2017. In government she has served as business secretary and women and equalities minister. This is her second time in a leadership race, having come fourth in the bid to succeed Boris Johnson.
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James Cleverly was the first person to confirm he would be standing as the party's next leader. He has served as home secretary and foreign secretary under Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. He was elected as an MP in 2015.
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Former home office minister Robert Jenrick served as immigration and health minister. He has been an MP since 2014.
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Dame Priti Patel became an MP in 2010 and served in the cabinet under Boris Johnson and Theresa May as international development secretary and home secretary. She didn't work in Rishi Sunak's government.
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Mel Stride is the shadow secretary of state for work and pensions. He has also been the chair of the Treasury Select Committee and was briefly Leader of the Commons, running Parliament's timetable. He has been an MP since 2010.
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Former security minister Tom Tugendhat is also running to be Conservative Party leader. He previously lost a leadership race against the eventual winner, Liz Truss. Before becoming an MP in 2015, he was an army officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

30 July 2024

The contest has started to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and six candidates have put themselves forward.

You can read more about the six contenders in the photo gallery above.

Conservative Members of Parliaments (MPs) will vote for their favourite of these candidates in September, bringing the number down to four.

Assuming no-one else drops out, there will then be another round of voting by Conservative MPs to choose the final two.

At this point in October members of the Conservative Party around the UK will have a chance to choose which of the two they want to be leader of the party.

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What about Rishi Sunak?

PA Media

The winning candidate will replace Rishi Sunak as party leader

Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced he would be stepping down as leader after the party lost the 2024 election.

The former prime minister accepted responsibility for the defeat which was the worst in the party's parliamentary history.

He will stay on as party leader until his successor is announced on 2 November.

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What about Rishi Sunak?