Priti Patel ‘to run’ in Tory leadership race - latest

Kwasi Kwarteng doesn't say no to possible return to the Conservative Party for himself or Liz Truss.

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Priti Patel is said to be trying to become the leader of the Conservative Party, as the competition speeds up to replace Rishi Sunak after his significant loss in the election.

The ex-home secretary is planning to officially announce her campaign later this week, as reported by The Telegraph. She has already put together a team to support her, which is backed by influential donors from the Conservative party.

This week, ex-deputy foreign secretary Andrew Mitchell advised the Conservative party to steer clear of appointing a temporary leader. He suggested that it would be best for Rishi Sunak to stay in his position until November.

He mentioned that the ex-prime minister will most likely feel inclined to leave, but the meeting with the 1922 Committee indicated that there is widespread sympathy and respect for Rishi Sunak.

There could be other potential candidates from the conservative party's right wing entering the leadership race, such as Kemi Badenoch. On the more moderate side, candidates like James Cleverly, Jeremy Hunt, Tom Tugendhat, and Victoria Atkins are also considering launching their own bids.

Reports: Priti Patel Running For Tory Leadership

Priti Patel is said to be seeking to become the leader of the Conservative Party after being encouraged to do so by her fellow party members.

The ex-government official is set to formally announce her plans later this week, as reported by The Telegraph. It was also mentioned that she has put together a campaign group supported by well-known conservative contributors.

Someone who knows her well told the newspaper: "Priti has been staying out of the public eye and has been doing her best to help others. She believes that her colleagues also deserve some time to process the outcome of the general election and she doesn't want to see potential candidates trying to attract attention in the media."

She has assembled a team behind the scenes, as numerous peers from various factions of the party have been encouraging her to enter the race. She now has crucial backing from Members of Parliament and campaign personnel lined up, including some influential Conservative contributors.

The Telegraph stated that, in contrast to her conservative counterpart Suella Braverman, Ms. Patel is seen by her peers as someone who can bring the party together after their loss in the general election.

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Tory Treasurer Quits Role After £5m Donation

Sir Mohamed Mansour, who held the position of senior treasurer in the Conservative Party, revealed his decision to step down from his post on Saturday. This comes just 10 days following Rishi Sunak's loss in the election.

The billionaire from Egypt gave £5 million to the party and helped raise even more money. This was the largest donation the Conservatives had received since 2001.

In an interview with The Independent, he shared: "I feel grateful for the opportunity to work for my country and my political party since December 2022. It has been a great privilege to be able to serve in this capacity."

Rishi Sunak has said he will leave as party leader, so I think it's a good idea for me to also resign now. A new leadership team will bring new skills and ideas to the job ahead: leading the party as it works to change and improve.

Andy Gregory July 16, 2024 9:01 PM

Convicted Billionaire's Business Donates £50,000 To Tories

The Conservatives received a donation of £50,000 from a company associated with a billionaire who has been convicted of mistreating his household employees, as revealed by Electoral Commission records during the final stages of the election campaign.

The recent data released on Monday revealed that Westminster Development Services, a group in charge of renovating the Old War Office on Whitehall into a Raffles hotel, gave a contribution to the Conservative Party on July 1st.

As reported by Companies House, AMC Project Services holds up to half ownership of Westminster Development Services. AMC Project Services is owned by Prakash Hinduja, who is the chairman of the Hinduja Group and considered one of the wealthiest individuals in the United Kingdom.

About 10 days ago, on June 21st, Hinduja and three of his family members were put in jail by a Swiss court for mistreating domestic workers at their mansion in Geneva.

Christopher McKeon has all the details.

Andy Gregory posted a blog update on July 16th, 2024 at 6:15 pm.

Tom Tugendhat To Announce Tory Leadership Bid Soon

Tom Tugendhat, who finished fifth in the competition to replace Boris Johnson in 2022, has gained a lot of attention for possibly running for Tory leadership. A recent report suggests he will likely announce his campaign in the coming weeks.

The team formed by the opposition security minister, which includes both current and former members of the Tory party, has been pleasantly surprised by the positive response from various party members during their initial discussions, according to The Telegraph.

"There is a new group forming in the early stages, reaching out to see who would back them," a high-ranking Conservative party member told the publication, while another source sarcastically commented that Mr. Tugendhat's potential campaign was "common knowledge among those in Westminster".

Andy Gregory posted on July 16, 2024 at 4:31 PM.

Tory Leader Urged To Remain Until November

Maryam Zakir-Hussain published a new post on July 16, 2024 at 2:49 PM.

"Mass Tory MP Strike Against Rishi Sunak Before Surprise Election"

Rishi Sunak was cautioned that he was losing control of his own party members after facing a mass rebellion in the final days of his time as leader.

Before surprising Westminster by announcing a sudden general election, Mr. Sunak was already feeling the pressure. The then prime minister was warned that the current situation was not sustainable.

In just one day, over 200 Conservative MPs asked to be excused from voting, according to a former senior government official. This accounted for more than half of the members of parliament from the Conservative party.

Blog post by Maryam Zakir-Hussain on July 16, 2024 at 1:07 PM.

"Tory Elder Warns Against Shift To Far Right"

The Conservative Party must steer clear of moving towards the "far right" as it works to recover from its most devastating loss, a former party leader has cautioned.

Chris Patten, the leader of the victorious 1992 general election campaign, where he unfortunately lost his own seat, has voiced worries that the Conservative party may try to imitate Nigel Farage in an attempt to regain supporters.

Penning his thoughts for The Independent, the esteemed member of the Conservative Party, who served as Britain's final governor of Hong Kong, referred to two of the possible candidates, Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, as being on the far right of the political spectrum. He also compared Farage to Tommy Robinson, but with a more polished appearance, as he advised the party to proceed with caution in reshaping its direction.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain's blog post was published on 16th July 2024 at 11:29 AM.

Shadow Minister Supports Sunak As Tory Leader Until November

The veterans minister, Andrew Bowie, suggested that Rishi Sunak should continue to lead the Conservative Party until November.

When asked if he agreed with Andrew Mitchell, the shadow foreign secretary, that the ex-prime minister should stay on as the party leader until November, Mr. Bowie expressed to Sky News that he believes it is crucial to maintain stability in the Conservative Party leadership during the upcoming leadership election process.

"And Rishi provides us with confidence and stability. I hope he can continue leading while we organize and choose his successor to lead us into the next election in four or five years."

He said, "In my opinion, I believe he should remain."

When questioned about potentially shifting the party's stance to the right, Mr. Bowie firmly stated that it should remain in the center. He believes that the party thrives when it maintains a position in the middle ground. Ultimately, the decision on leadership should be left up to the party members.

"We have historically excelled in that area, which is where we receive the most support nationwide. It is not my place to decide the direction of the party; that responsibility falls on Members of Parliament and party members."

Maryam Zakir-Hussain posted on her blog on July 16, 2024 at 8:52 AM.

Who's Next Tory Leader? Front Runners Ranked

In this section, we will take a closer look at the few contestants who are still in the race.

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UK Advisor Warns Of Extremists Putting MP Lives At Risk

John Woodcock, a previous member of the Labour party who is now a member of the House of Lords with the title Baron Walney, also proposed that there may have been a coordinated effort by radical individuals.

Maryam Zakir-Hussain posted on July 16, 2024 at 4:30 AM.