Conservative Leadership Race Begins

The race to replace Rishi Sunak as the leader of the Conservative Party has officially begun, with former Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, former Foreign and Home Secretary James Cleverly, former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, and ex-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick among the declared candidates. Stride, despite facing criticism over his significantly reduced majority in his constituency, insists he is the right person to unite the party. Meanwhile, Tugendhat, who had to hastily change his campaign slogan due to an unfortunate acronym, emphasizes his readiness to make tough decisions like leaving the ECHR to regain public trust. The election process includes an internal vote among Conservative MPs to create a shortlist of two candidates, followed by a vote from party members, with the final announcement scheduled for November 2. The outcome of this leadership contest will significantly influence the party's ideological direction and strategy to regain power in the next general election.