- author, Ian Aikman
- role, BBC News
Former Foreign Secretary James Cleverley has confirmed he will run to become the next Conservative Party leader.
The Braintree MP, who currently serves as shadow home secretary, posted a video on social media on Tuesday night announcing his candidacy.
He is the first member of the Conservative party to announce he will stand for leadership after the party announced it will hold a three-month leadership contest by November to choose Rishi Sunak’s successor.
Sunak said he would remain as interim leader until a successor was chosen.
In a video launching his campaign, Mr Cleverley said the Conservatives needed to “rebuild their reputation” as a party that “helps grow the economy and helps people achieve their goals, dreams and aspirations”.
“We can only achieve this as a united party focused on the needs of the British people,” he added.
Mr Cleverley had previously urged the party not to “narrow its offer” as it seeks to rebuild after its heavy defeat in the July 4 general election.
He said the party should aim to become a “broad base” to win back voters from both the left and the right.
The shadow home secretary was widely expected to join the race for the Conservative leadership, having served as foreign secretary and home secretary under previous Conservative governments.
Other candidates include former minister Mel Stride; “Under consideration” for the roleformer Immigration Secretary Robert Jenrick, former Home Secretaries Suella Braverman and Priti Patel, Shadow Security Secretary Tom Tugendhat and Shadow Communities Secretary Kemi Badenoch.
Candidates running for the leadership must secure the support of 10 Conservative MPs by July 29 to remain in the election, at which point up to 11 MPs could be up for election.
MPs will narrow the field through a series of votes when Parliament returns in early September, with the goal of whittling it down to four candidates by the Conservative party conference at the end of the month.
Party members will vote for their leader from a list of candidates in a poll that closes on October 31.
“Our party is committed to having a respectful and thorough leadership debate,” said Bob Blackmun, who will oversee the selection of a new leader as chairman of the House Caucus’ 1922 Committee.
He added: “There are important debates to be had about the future of our party but we must remember that the public, and our party members, expect us to engage in proper debate, not personal attacks.”
