Shifting Sands in Tory Leadership Race: Ruth Davidson Weighs In on Surprises and Necessary Opposition Adaptations

Voting Quandary: The Urgency for Conservatives to Adapt to Being the Minority – Plus Unexpected Twists in the Leadership Race

In this installment, Ruth Davidson discusses the highlights of the Conservative leadership battle and offers crucial tips for the eventual winner.

Friday, September 6, 2024, 5:

Ex-Tory MP Ruth Davidson expressed her astonishment at the initial outcomes of the contest to succeed Rishi Sunak as the leader of the Conservative Party.

Priti Patel was ousted from the competition on Wednesday, while Robert Jenrick took the lead, securing 28 votes in the initial MP ballot, surpassing the favored candidate Kemi Badenoch, who received 22 votes.

Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly trailed by one vote at 21, while Shadow Security Minister Tom Tugendhat secured 17 votes, and Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride garnered 16.

On the Sky News Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Ms. Davidson expressed her belief that Mr. Stride would likely be the first candidate to withdraw.

Stay ahead with the latest breaking news updates.

Download the Sky News application at no cost

"She expressed surprise, noting that many had assumed Mel Stride would be the first to leave. 'So, sorry to Mel, we were mistaken on that,' she admitted."

"He clearly has more backing from the parliamentary members than anticipated. It's intriguing that Priti seemed to aim to represent not only the right-wing faction but also the Boris supporters within the party."

"In the initial stage of the election, Boris was notably silent, not making any public endorsements. However, it was evident that he supported Liz Truss in her final contest against Rishi."

"That really caught my interest."

Further reading: Incidents such as Grenfell 'inevitably occur'; water executives at risk of incarceration amid stringent measures.

Stay informed about the most recent developments in the UK and globally by tuning into Sky News.

Ms. Davidson, who previously faced opposition in Scotland, emphasized that the victor must adapt to opposition "quickly."

She remarked, "For someone who has spent their entire political career on the opposition side, my piece of advice would be to quickly adapt to the shift from being in government to being in opposition, because you'll need to be agile and proactive."

"Individuals aren't going to be inclined to report on you. You see, the government has control and it’s using its influence. It will communicate with them. You’ll have to put in an extraordinary amount of effort just to make it into the newspapers."

👆 Play the audio, then click this link to subscribe to Electoral Dysfunction on your preferred podcast platform. 👇

Reach out to Beth, Ruth, and Harriet by emailing them at electoraldysfunction@sky.uk, tweet at @BethRigby on X, or send a voice message via WhatsApp to 07934 200 444.

Remember, the live tour of Electoral Dysfunction kicks off in September.

To purchase your tickets, please click on this link. The schedule for the performances is listed below:

• London – Thursday, the 12th at Bloomsbury Theatre

• Salford – Monday, the 16th at Lowry Quays

• Liverpool – Sunday, the 22nd at St George's Hall

• Glasgow – Thursday, the 26th at The Glee Club

Sky News Information

About Sky News

Sky News Offerings

Sky Network Channels

Additional Sky Websites