Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister who resigned from Rishi Sunak’s cabinet due to the prime minister’s failure to adopt a tougher stance on immigration, has announced his candidacy for Conservative leader.
Danny Kruger, Jenrick’s campaign manager, stated that Jenrick is best suited to win back voters who shifted to the Reform party in the general election. Jenrick is the third MP to enter the leadership race, following James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat.
In a recent poll of party members, Jenrick emerged as a leading contender to succeed Sunak, surpassing other right-wing candidates like Kemi Badenoch, Priti Patel, and Suella Braverman, who are also expected to run.
Cleverly, the former home secretary, was the first to declare his candidacy, emphasizing his ability to unite the Conservative Party and cautioning against letting ideological purity overshadow pragmatic governance.
Tugendhat, a one-nation MP and former security minister, entered the race on Wednesday, expressing a willingness to leave the European convention on human rights as part of his appeal to right-leaning members.
Kruger confirmed that Jenrick’s nomination papers would be submitted on Thursday. He stressed the importance of regaining lost voters, especially those who defected to Reform, while also unifying the party under a coherent set of Conservative principles.
Kruger argued that the Conservatives need to demonstrate responsibility and competence to convince the British public they are the best option for governance, particularly with Labour expected to fail on critical issues.
Jenrick, 42, previously served as communities secretary and faced calls to resign over a planning controversy. He is set to officially launch his leadership campaign in the East Midlands next week.
The 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs has outlined plans for an extended leadership contest, culminating in the final four candidates competing at the Tory conference, with the winner announced on November 2.
Historically, Tory grassroots members have favored the most right-wing candidates in leadership elections, as seen in the victories of Boris Johnson over Jeremy Hunt and Liz Truss over Sunak, who later became prime minister without a full contest.
