Kemi Badenoch Leads Tory Leadership Rivals in Poll
As the Tory leadership contest heats up, Kemi Badenoch continues to lead the race to be the next Tory leader, according to a new survey of Conservative Party members. The survey, conducted by the Conservative Home website between Sept 2-3, revealed that Mrs. Badenoch is the frontrunner in the race, with 34 percent support among party members.
The other candidates vying for the leadership position include Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, Dame Priti Patel, and Mel Stride. In the survey, Mr. Jenrick came in second place with 18 percent support, followed by Mr. Tugendhat with 13 percent, Mr. Cleverly with 11 percent, Dame Priti Patel with 7 percent, and Mel Stride with 2 percent. Additionally, 15 percent of respondents were undecided.
The survey also indicated that Mrs. Badenoch would beat all of her rivals in head-to-head contests if she makes it to the final two in the contest. In matchups against her competitors, she was favored over Mr. Jenrick by 51 percent to 34 percent, over Mr. Tugendhat by 61 percent to 28 percent, over Mr. Cleverly by 57 percent to 27 percent, over Dame Priti by 65 percent to 21 percent, and over Mr. Stride by 69 percent to 16 percent. Mr. Jenrick was the candidate with the second-best head-to-head record, only losing to Mrs. Badenoch.
The publication of this poll comes as Tory MPs prepare to vote this afternoon to eliminate one of the candidates. This voting process will help narrow down the field of candidates as the party moves closer to selecting its new leader.
Support for Leadership Candidates
Amber Rudd, the former home secretary, has endorsed Tom Tugendhat to be the next leader of the Conservative Party. Ms. Rudd highlighted Mr. Tugendhat’s courage and integrity in her endorsement, praising his qualities as a potential leader.
In another development, a shadow Treasury minister expressed his support for Robert Jenrick in the Tory leadership race, citing Mr. Jenrick’s ability to unite the party and hold the Government to account. Gareth Davies emphasized Mr. Jenrick’s strong performance and leadership skills as reasons for backing him in the contest.
James Cleverly, another candidate in the leadership race, promised to provide “Conservative solutions to Britain’s problems” as Tory MPs prepared to cast their votes in the contest. Mr. Cleverly emphasized the importance of offering conservative solutions and highlighted the ineffectiveness of left-wing approaches.
Mel Stride, also a contender in the leadership race, vowed to give the Tories the strong leadership they need to deliver change and rebuild trust. Mr. Stride emphasized his experience, skills, and commitment to leading the party in a positive direction.
Next Steps in the Tory Leadership Race
Tory MPs are set to vote for the first time in the Conservative Party leadership contest this afternoon. The voting process will take place in secret, with the results announced by Bob Blackman, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs. The goal of today’s vote is to reduce the field of six candidates down to five, with the possibility of eliminating two candidates if some are significantly behind the others.
If necessary, a second vote will be held on Monday next week to further narrow down the field from five to four candidates. The remaining four contenders will then have the opportunity to make their case to party members at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. Subsequent rounds of voting by Tory MPs will eventually lead to a final ballot of Conservative Party members, with the new leader announced on Nov 2.
Overall, the Tory leadership race is shaping up to be a closely contested and pivotal moment for the Conservative Party as they select their new leader. Stay tuned for updates as the contest progresses and the field of candidates narrows down to determine who will lead the party into the future.
