September 10th 2024.
The Conservative leadership race has taken another turn with the departure of Mel Stride, making him the second candidate to drop out. Despite being seen as the underdog and likely to be eliminated in the latest round of voting, Stride put in a strong performance earlier in the day during a debate on cutting Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners.
One advantage for Stride was his appearance on morning media rounds, thanks to the major debate taking place in the afternoon. However, it wasn't enough to secure his spot in the race. He received only 16 votes, while Robert Jenrick received 33, Kemi Badenoch received 28, and James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat each received 21 votes. This leaves only four candidates remaining in the race, following the departure of Priti Patel last week.
The final four candidates will have a chance to make their case at the party conference in Birmingham later this month. After that, Tory MPs will choose the final two candidates, who will then face a vote from party members. The winner will be declared on November 2.
Mel Stride had the most media appearances among all Conservative MPs leading up to the election, but Jenrick and Badenoch have been vying for the frontrunner position in the first half of the race. Cleverly and Tugendhat have also made a case for themselves as more moderate options who can appeal to the general public. Each candidate has their own explanation for the party's devastating defeat in the July General Election.
Whoever wins the race will become the Leader of the Opposition for the party's smallest group of MPs ever, with only 121 seats in the House of Commons. Despite his elimination, Cleverly believes that Stride will still play a significant role in the party's future. Tugendhat also praised Stride's campaign, stating that it is one that all Conservatives can be proud of.
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