LONDON, UK – The outspoken 44-year-old considers Margaret Thatcher his hero, the former immigration minister who resigned after claiming the controversial Rwanda plan didn’t go “enough”, and the ex who jokes that it “invaded” her. He was a “country” soldier when he served in Iraq, and a gaffe-prone Brexiteer who made some nasty comments about date-rape drugs.
In relative order, Conservative politicians Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverley have won what is said to be the worst job in politics as opposition leader in Britain. are fighting.
The leading candidates will make their case at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, which begins on Sunday and runs until Wednesday.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has resigned as Conservative Party leader following the disastrous result in the July 4 general election. Former home secretary Priti Patel and former cabinet minister Mel Stride were defeated in preliminary votes by Tory MPs.
These members will vote on October 9th and 10th to narrow the field down to two candidates. The party’s members, estimated to number more than 170,000, will then vote.
What’s the problem?
Risks are rising as the Conservative Party suffered its worst election loss since its founding in 1834, dealing a major blow to the Conservative Party, which had been in power for more than a decade until July.
Currently, there are only 121 Conservative MPs in parliament compared to Labor’s 404, compared to a Conservative majority of 365 before the election.
Toby James, professor of politics and public policy at the University of East Anglia, told Al Jazeera: “The election[of the Conservative Party leadership]is very important and will have a huge impact on British politics and the future of the country.” spoke. “The new leader will have the opportunity to shape the direction of the world’s most electorally successful party.”
But the Conservative Party is splitting as it gets used to living in the shadows.
Some Conservative Party leaders believe now is the time to appease voters who have deserted them in favor of Nigel Farage’s far-right reform campaign, but as former prime minister David Cameron cultivated, Some people are talking about a return to centrist politics.
What went wrong for conservatives?
The last few years of the Conservative government were marred by scandal and turmoil as the government struggled to deal with Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.
Prime Minister Cameron resigned in 2016 after his bid to keep Britain in the EU failed and was replaced by Theresa May. Next came Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and finally Sunak.
“It’s hard to predict contests,” James said. “There are currently only a very small number of Conservative MPs in Parliament…so a small number of votes moving between MPs could have a decisive impact on the election race.
“When leadership candidates campaign to become leaders, their audience is the voting Conservative MPs and members of the party. When they campaign to become prime minister, their audience is the entire country. Their first task, therefore, is to broaden the party’s appeal beyond its core demographic, including understanding why the party had such a disastrous result in July. , the public will need to be trained to listen.”
Who are the candidates and what do they promise?
Kemi Badenoch: Culture Warrior
Mr Badenoch has promised to “lead and renew” the Conservative Party. According to her campaign, she believes in “meritocracy” and rejects “attempts to force us into identity groups.”
Mr Badenoch often makes headlines for broaching controversial issues such as transgender rights and colonialism, is described as outspoken and has been accused of workplace bullying. According to a report in the Guardian, staff at her former office, the Department of Industry and Trade, claim the office was toxic, her actions were “traumatic” and that she was playing favorites. . She denies the charges.
Ms Badenoch wants so-called conversion therapy banned, opposes what she calls “identity politics” and downplays the role of colonialism in Britain’s wealth. Margaret Thatcher is her political hero, she says.
At this year’s British LGBT Awards, Doctor Who actor David Tennant criticized Ms Badenoch, then equalities minister, over her stance on transgender issues. Ms Tennant said she wanted a world that “no longer exists” and said she should “shut up”.
She was born in London to Nigerian parents and spent her childhood in Lagos.
She became an MP in 2017 and ran for the Conservative Party leadership for the first time in 2022 after Johnson resigned. She placed fourth, which was considered an achievement given her relative lack of experience.
She told right-wing channel GB News last month that Britons who voted for the populist, anti-immigration Reform were “our people” and in a clear attempt to placate them, adding: “It’s very He is right-wing and at the same time very strong.” Pragmatic”.
James Cleverley: gaffe-prone party supporter
Former Home and Foreign Secretary Cleverley, 54, was born to a Sierra Leonean mother who moved to London to become a midwife and a British father who worked as a surveyor.
After leaving private school, Cleverly joined the army, but after injuring his leg during training, he continued to work in publishing before becoming an MP.
He is a long-time ally of Boris Johnson, supports Brexit, and wants to revive the Rwanda plan scrapped by the current Labor government. The policy, which would see people recognized by the UK as illegal immigrants and refugees being sent to African countries for asylum procedures, had been heavily criticized by rights groups.
He has not shied away from topics such as racism and has warned his party against trying to give Mr Farage a “safe impression” in order to recover from the election.
He called the killing of George Floyd in the US a “terrible and unacceptable act” and criticized soccer fans who booed players who took a knee during Black Lives Matter protests. He wants to win support from Britain’s black community but admits the Conservative Party is mired in a divisive “psychological drama”.
He calls for party unity, tax cuts and increased military spending.
According to the right-wing Telegraph newspaper, Mr Cleverley claims to be a centrist and is known as an affable politician. According to recent opinion polls, he is popular among the people.
He is also known for his gaffes. Last year, campaigners called for him to resign after he joked about putting a date rape drug in his wife’s drink.
Robert Jenrick: Hardline former immigration minister
In December, Mr Jenrick, 42, resigned from his post as immigration minister, saying the Rwanda plan was not “enough” to reduce illegal immigration.
His campaign focuses on immigration, including through legal channels.
He warned that if the proportion of “low-skilled” immigrants continued, it would suppress wages, increase housing costs, strain public services and reduce “cohesion.”
Analysts say he has moved to the right since he voted for Britain to remain in the EU.
He is currently calling for a withdrawal from the European Convention on Human Rights, which he believes will hasten the removal of asylum seekers. He supports lowering taxes and revitalizing the private sector.
Mr Jenrick is now firmly established as a member of the party’s right-wing wing and is the leading candidate for leadership.
In late September, he reportedly called for the cancellation of a Palestinian student’s visa while wearing a hoodie that read “Hamas is a terrorist.”
Jenrick was born in the Midlands, England, educated at a private school, and graduated from Cambridge University. Before being elected to Parliament in 2014, he was a lawyer and director of the prominent auction house Christie’s.
Tom Tugendhat: Former military officer focused on foreign policy
As the race heated up, Tugendhat doubled down on his well-known claim that the “most despicable” thing he had ever done was to invade Iraq while serving in the military. That’s what it means.
“I invaded a country once a few years ago in 2003. I was part of the invasion force in Iraq,” he told The Spectator last week, adding that he previously competed and lost to Liz Truss in 2022. He repeated the joking remarks he made during the party leadership election.
He speaks Arabic and served in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2021, the then security minister gave an impassioned speech in parliament condemning NATO’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Retired couple John and Vandra Butler are backing local MP Tom Tugendhat in the Conservative Party leadership race (Aneara Safdar/Al Jazeera)
He is known as a centrist and has boasted that he has arrested more Russian and Chinese spies than usual during his time in office.
He blamed Farage for inciting tensions during the recent race riots.
For John and Vandra Butler, retired lifelong Conservative voters in the sleepy south-England Tonbridge constituency of Tugendhat, the choice is clear. Local MPs should lead the Conservative Party.
“He has done a lot in this area,” Bandra told Al Jazeera, admitting the party was suffering from “a leadership problem.”
