Conservative Leadership Heats Up: Mel Stride Joins Race as Fourth Tory Contender

Mel Stride has joined the contest as the fourth Conservative MP vying for the party's leadership. He lines up alongside James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, and Robert Jenrick in the race to succeed the previous Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak.

Political correspondent @NifS

Friday, July 26, 2024 11:59

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Mel Stride has joined the leadership contest as the fourth Conservative MP vying to be the next head of their party.

The ex-minister of work and pensions, currently serving in the opposition's equivalent position, suggested to Sky News earlier this week that there is a "reasonable chance" he will enter the race.

He has officially entered the race to succeed Rishi Sunak, joining former Home Secretary James Cleverly, ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat, and previous immigration minister Robert Jenrick in the leadership contest.

Latest in Politics: Stride maintains he is not in a vulnerable state.

Candidates are required to have the support of 10 endorsers to file their nomination for the election.

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Three additional Conservative MPs have collected the necessary papers to be nominated: Priti Patel, Kemi Badenoch, and Suella Braverman.

Mr. Stride first secured his parliamentary position as the representative for Central Devon in the 2010 elections.

He has occupied several high-ranking governmental positions, such as financial secretary to the Treasury and paymaster general.

In a conversation with Sky News today, Mr. Stride expressed his decision to run, stating his belief that the Conservative Party faces a significant task ahead.

"I believe I am the appropriate candidate to take on that role," he stated.

"Throughout my tenure in parliament and the general election, my primary goal was securing victory for my party," he added.

"I've always been collaborative, and that's been my approach. Currently, I see our situation within the party as one where we have significant challenges ahead, not only in rebuilding trust with the voters in Britain but also in restoring our reputation for being capable and effective."

"I believe I am well-placed to address these two challenges over the course of time, as it will certainly require time, and currently, we have that time available to us."

When questioned about whether his narrow 61-vote margin in the recent general election put him at a disadvantage, Mr. Stride responded, "I don't believe it does."

"I secured my position despite the challenges because I relentlessly battled to maintain it."

The process to select a new leader for the Conservative Party began on Wednesday at 7pm, with the announcement of Mr. Sunak's successor scheduled for November 2.

The party announced that the ex-prime minister, who guided the Conservatives to their most significant loss on July 4, will continue as the interim leader until then.

Further reading: Tom Tugendhat enters the contest to succeed Sunak; James Cleverly begins his campaign for Tory leadership; Robert Jenrick announces his candidacy.

In the next few days, additional candidates are anticipated to officially announce their bid for leadership. They must enter the race by Monday, with the nomination period ending at 2:30 PM.

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Conservative MPs will subsequently whittle down the contenders to a group of four, who will present their arguments to party members during the Conservative conference scheduled for this fall.

The initial group of four candidates will be narrowed down to two finalists, from which party members will select the winner.

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