Tom Tugendhat has announced his candidacy to become the next Conservative leader, following Rishi Sunak. Tugendhat, a former security minister, indicated a willingness to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in an apparent bid to appeal to the right-wing of the party. He warned last October about the consequences of leaving the ECHR, but now believes it may be necessary to control UK borders. Tugendhat also touched on key issues such as gender identity, net zero, and defense spending, calling for an increase to 3% of GDP.
Tugendhat emphasized the importance of regaining the trust of British voters to win the next election, stating that the party lost trust by failing to deliver on promises. He highlighted the need for the Conservative party to do what they say they will in order to regain that trust. This comes as Victoria Atkins, another moderate within the party, ruled herself out of the leadership race.
The Tory leadership contest is set to follow a timetable that includes nominations closing next week, with Tory MPs reducing candidates to a shortlist of four in September. The final two candidates will then be put to a vote by party members, with the new leader set to be announced on November 2nd. Rishi Sunak will remain as interim leader until the announcement.
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