Yellow Cards on the Table: Tory Leadership Candidates Warned Against Rival Attacks Amid Party Rebuilding Efforts

Candidates vying for the Conservative leadership have been cautioned against harshly criticizing their opponents, as the party seeks to avoid repeating the mistakes that led to its significant loss.

Senior political reporter @joncraig

Monday, July 29, 2024, 19:

The six contenders for the Conservative Party leadership have been issued a warning, in the form of a "yellow card," by party officials aiming to maintain a fair and respectful competition.

The surprising strategy is designed to avoid the continuous infighting that plagued the last five years, which senior Conservative figures believe led to the party's devastating loss at the polls.

The warning indicates that the top leadership of the Conservative Party is worried that attacking their opponents during the election could portray them as a failing party engulfed in internal conflict.

1922 Committee chairman Bob Blackman revealed that the "yellow card" notification pertains to the six individuals participating, all of whom have previously declared their intentions.

When questioned about the possibility of issuing a "red card," Mr. Blackman expressed his desire to avoid such measures, yet he affirmed that penalties would be enforced should any candidate make a harmful comment about an opponent.

In the latest political updates, the Chancellor has introduced significant reductions, along with new, unexpected policies that were not originally outlined in the manifesto.

In the upcoming three-month contest to succeed Rishi Sunak as party leader, the contenders will be Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel, Mel Stride, and Tom Tugendhat.

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The competition for Conservative leadership will include both elements of a contest and a retrospective analysis.

Addressing the crowd under the blazing sun outside the parliament building, just after nominations wrapped up at 2:30 PM, Mr. Blackman firmly cautioned the candidates against engaging in harsh personal criticisms, stating such behavior would be unacceptable.

Mr. Blackman, serving as the returning officer for the election, will maintain order and issue yellow cards if needed, in collaboration with acting Tory chief whip Stuart Andrew and acting party chairman Richard Fuller.

"Mr. Blackman assured political reporters that the competition among the nominated candidates will be fair and honorable."

"You might have noticed that we have implemented a yellow card system to address instances where candidates engage in attacks against each other."

When queried by Sky News about the mechanics of the yellow card system, Mr. Blackman explained, "The concept behind the yellow card is quite straightforward.

Persistent infighting and public criticism of fellow party members, both in person and through the media, during the previous legislative session were key factors in the party's poor performance in the recent general election.

"We are resolved to not accept such occurrences. Therefore, if candidates engage in this behavior, I will certainly intervene, first by cautioning them, and if needed, by making a public declaration acknowledging their involvement in these actions.

"If Members of Parliament engage in such infighting, the chief whip will step in. Should former MPs partake, the party chairman will take measures to ensure appropriate actions are enforced. Essentially, we aim to put an end to this persistent infighting."

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When Sky News inquired, "And what about a red card?" Mr. Blackman, who identifies as an enthusiastic Spurs fan on social media, expressed his hope that it wouldn't come to that, though he acknowledged that sanctions might be imposed.

He stated that issuing a yellow card in reaction to a public comment about a candidate, which "violated the regulations and could severely harm their electoral prospects, should suffice."

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He continued, "And ideally, ideally it won't be necessary. But it's available as a penalty."

Mr. Blackman disclosed the identities of the individuals who proposed and seconded the six candidates, each of whom secured the endorsement of 10 MPs, confirming their legitimate nominations.

• Kemi Badenoch, nominated by Alex Burghart with Julia Lopez supporting;

• James Cleverly, nominated by Gagan Mohindra with Peter Fortune supporting;

• Robert Jenrick, nominated by Danny Kruger with Caroline Johnson supporting;

• Priti Patel, nominated by Greg Smith with Saqib Bhatti supporting;

• Mel Stride, nominated by Jeremy Mayhew with David Reed supporting;

• Tom Tugendhat, nominated by Karen Bradley with Neil Shastri-Hurst supporting.

Mr. Blackman elaborated: "The six contenders are now at liberty to engage in campaigning, participate in media appearances, and attend events and gatherings nationwide as they see fit. There is no obligation for associations to extend invitations to all of them, leaving the decision to invite at their discretion."

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He announced the election schedule, stating, "On Wednesday, September 4, there will be a vote among MPs to narrow down the list of candidates."

Should the number of candidates exceed five, an additional ballot will be held next week to narrow the field to four. The final quartet of candidates is slated to be announced in the week starting September 9.

The four contenders will attend the party conference where they will each have the opportunity to address the attendees. Additionally, there will be a series of hustings and related activities taking place during the conference.

Further reading: Should Badenoch ascend as the Conservative leader, anticipate a departure from courtesies and politeness. Reeves declares that the inaugural budget from a Labour government will be unveiled in October.

When members of Parliament reconvene on October 7, we will hold hustings on October 8, conduct a voting round on October 9, and, if needed, an additional vote on October 10 to narrow down the candidate field to two.

The final two contenders will then be presented to the members for a vote. Voting materials are expected to be distributed by October 15. Voting will conclude on October 31, and the announcement of the new leader is scheduled for November 2.

Mr. Blackman announced that the new leader will assume their position at once and will start their leadership duties in parliament beginning Monday, November 4.

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