Tom Tugendhat has announced his candidacy for the Conservative leadership race, aiming to succeed Rishi Sunak. Despite being known as a member of the one nation wing of the party and previously warning against leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Tugendhat indicated in a recent article for the Telegraph that he would be willing to leave the ECHR if necessary.
Tugendhat is positioning himself to the right in an attempt to appeal to the Tory grassroots, who traditionally favor more rightwing candidates. He has also taken stances on issues such as defense spending, gender identity, and net zero to align himself with potential rightwing rivals.
The leadership race comes after the party’s historic election defeat, which Tugendhat attributes to a loss of trust from British voters due to unfulfilled promises on lower taxes and cutting immigration. He believes that regaining this trust is essential for the party to win the next election.
The Conservative Party has set out a timetable for the leadership contest, with nominations closing next week. Tory MPs will narrow down the candidates to four in September, who will then make their case to grassroots members at the party conference in October. The final two candidates will be put to a vote by the membership, with the results expected to be announced on November 2nd.
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