The Conservative Party, which suffered a crushing defeat in the UK general election and handed over power to the Labour Party, will announce its new party leader succeeding former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on November 2.
According to BBC and other sources on the 23rd (local time), the main opposition Conservative Party has finalized a three-month schedule for the leadership election. Earlier, former Prime Minister Sunak announced on the 5th, the day after the July 4 general election, that he would resign as Conservative Party leader taking responsibility for the election defeat and allow the process to select his successor to proceed.
Candidate registration for the leadership race will take place from the 24th to the 29th. Those wishing to run must secure the support of 10 Conservative MPs other than themselves to participate in the first round of voting. Among the registered candidates, four shortlisted through voting will deliver speeches at the party conference starting at the end of September. Subsequently, MPs will narrow the final candidates down to two by early October at the conference. Then, by October 31, an online vote involving all party members will elect the new leader. The new party leader will be announced on November 2.
No one has officially confirmed their candidacy yet. Potential candidates include former Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, who has said he is "considering" running. Former Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly avoided answering questions about his candidacy in an interview with the BBC the previous day but did not rule out the possibility.
Also mentioned as possible candidates are former Home Office Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman, former Home Secretary Priti Patel, former Shadow Home Office Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, and former Shadow Communities Secretary Kemi Badenoch.
The Daily Telegraph reported that a poll by Techne asked Conservative members to name their preferred next leader, with Jenrick leading at 55%, followed by Tugendhat (52%), Badenoch (52%), Patel (47%), and Braverman (45%). However, the differences in support among the top contenders were not significant, and 30% of respondents said they were still undecided.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirmed he will remain in position until the new leader is elected "to ensure a smooth and orderly transition to the new leader of the opposition." He said, "This will allow our party to perform the role of the official opposition professionally and effectively," adding that it is "best for the Conservative Party and, most importantly, for our country."
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