Tory MPs Pressured To Declare Leadership Bids By Next Week

Conservative MPs are likely to have to declare their bids to become party leader by the end of next week and fight the contest over Parliament's summer recess.

The 1922 Committee, which represents Conservative backbenchers, is aiming to set out an official timetable to replace Rishi Sunak over the next 48 hours.

Senior Tories are leaning towards a process which will require candidates to officially declare their bids by Friday 26 July — a few days before MPs return to their constituencies for a few weeks. 

The frontrunners to replace Sunak are Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel, and James Cleverly — who all have Cabinet experience.

Under the plans being discussed, multiple candidates will campaign over the summer before the field is whittled down by Tory MPs in September, prior to Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham. The conference will take place between 29 September and 2 October.

One Tory MP said there is hope that this approach will prevent the two favourite candidates from "taking chunks out of one another" over the summer months.

The final two candidates would then debate each other at events in Birmingham before members vote on their preferred candidate. Holding debates at Tory conference will likely attract more members to the event, increasing attendance and boosting the party’s financial situation —  which has taken a hit as a result of the Tory election defeat.

A senior Tory said removing the final say from the members, as called for by some Conservatives, was not a “serious” position.

One shadow Cabinet minister told PoliticsHome this timetable, if confirmed, would make Sunak more likely will remain as leader without needing an interim.

An ally of the former prime minister told PoliticsH