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2024 Conservative Party leadership election

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2024 Conservative Party leadership election
← Oct 2022 4 September – 31 October 2024 (2024-09-04 – 2024-10-31)

Full results for all candidates below
 
Candidate Kemi Badenoch Robert Jenrick
Fourth MPs' ballot 42 (35.0%) 41 (34.2%)
Members' vote 53,806 (56.5%) 41,388 (43.5%)

leader before election

Rishi Sunak

Elected leader

Kemi Badenoch

A Conservative Party leadership election was announced on 5 July 2024 when then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his plans to resign as Conservative leader after the party's defeat at the 2024 general election.[1][2]

The leadership race began on 24 July and lasted for over three months, with Rishi Sunak's replacement being confirmed on 2 November.[2]

On 9 October 2024, after James Cleverly was eliminated on the fourth ballot, Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick advanced to the final round of the election.[3]

Badenoch won the head-to-head and was elected Conservative leader on 2 November 2024.

Timetable

[change | change source]
Key dates
Date Event
24–29 July Nomination period; potential candidates must gather the support of ten fellow Conservative MPs to qualify for the first MPs' ballot.[4]
4 and 10 September Conservative MPs vote in two ballots to reduce to four candidates.[2]
29 September –
2 October
The Conservative Party Conference takes place, where each of the four remaining leadership hopefuls give a speech.[2]
8 and 9 October Conservative MPs vote in two more ballots, where candidates are reduced to two finalists.[5]
10–31 October An online ballot of the final two candidates takes place for all Conservative party members.[2]
2 November The result of the ballot is announced, and the winner subsequently becomes the leader of the Conservative Party.[2]

Candidates

[change | change source]

The following announced their leadership campaigns in the election.

Candidate Constituency Current office Former offices Campaign Ref.
The following candidates advanced to the final round of voting.

Kemi Badenoch
MP for North West Essex (2024–present);
Saffron Walden (2017–2024)
Shadow Housing and Communities Secretary (2024–present) Business Secretary (2023–2024)
Minister for Women and Equalities (2022–2024)
International Trade Secretary (2022–2023)
Website

Announced:
28 July 2024
[6]

Robert Jenrick
MP for Newark (2014–present) Backbencher Minister of State for Immigration (2022–2023)
Housing and Communities Secretary (2019–2021)
Website

Announced:
25 July 2024
[7]
The following candidates were eliminated during several ballots of voting.

Priti Patel
MP for Witham (2010–present) Backbencher Home Secretary (2019–2022)
International Development Secretary (2016–2017)
Website Archived 2024-07-31 at the Wayback Machine
Announced:
27 July 2024
Eliminated:
4 September 2024
[8][9]

Mel Stride
MP for Central Devon (2010–present) Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary (2024–present) Work and Pensions Secretary (2022–2024)
Chair of the Treasury Select Committee (2019–2022)
Leader of the House of Commons (2019)
Website
Announced:
26 July 2024
Eliminated:
10 September 2024
Endorsed Cleverly
[10][11]

Tom Tugendhat
MP for Tonbridge (2024–present);
Tonbridge and Malling (2015–2024)
Shadow Minister for Security (2024–present) Minister of State for Security (2022–2024)
Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee (2017–2022)
Website
Announced:
24 July 2024
Eliminated:
8 October 2024
[12][13]

James Cleverly
MP for Braintree (2015–present) Shadow Home Secretary (2024–present) Home Secretary (2023–2024)
Foreign Secretary (2022–2023)
Education Secretary (2022)
Party Chair (2019–2020)
Website

Announced:
23 July 2024
Eliminated:
9 October 2024
[3][14]

Declined

[change | change source]

The following Conservative Party politicians were seen by commentators as possible candidates for the leadership but declined to stand:

Multi-candidate polling

[change | change source]
Dates
conducted
Pollster Client Sample
size
Kemi
Badenoch
James Cleverly Robert Jenrick Tom Tugendhat Mel Stride Priti Patel Suella
Braverman
Jeremy
Hunt
Victoria Atkins Esther McVey Others Don't know
3–4 October 2024 Conservative Home[a] N/A 784 32% 25% 19% 12% Eliminated Eliminated Did not run 12%
20–29 September 2024 YouGov Sky News 802 27% 16% 24% 16% 17%
26–27 September 2024 Conservative Home[a] N/A 812 36% 13% 25% 13% 13%
11–16 September 2024 Popular Conservatism[b] N/A 501 34.9% 6.8% 38.3% 5.6% 12.8%
28 August–4 September 2024 Popular Conservatism[b] N/A 444 30.4% 5.2% 38.3% 3.8% 2% 20.3%
2–3 September 2024 Conservative Home[a] N/A 863 34% 11% 18% 13% 2% 7% 15%
14–19 August 2024 Popular Conservatism[b] N/A 512 28.2% 4.5% 28.4% 3.9% 1.8% 17.4% 15.8%
6–15 August 2024 YouGov N/A 903 24% 14% 12% 16% 2% 11% 19%
2–12 August 2024 Techne James Cleverly 805 14% 26% 10% 11% 4% 20% 15%
5–8 August 2024 Conservative Home[a] N/A 917 33% 10% 19% 10% 2% 8% 18%
31 July–5 August 2024 Popular Conservatism[b] N/A 468 23% 5% 24% 3% 2% 21% 22%
10–11 July 2024 Conservative Home [a] N/A 995 26% 9% 13% 13% 3% 10% 2% 1% 7% 16%
July 2024 YouGov[c] QMUL and Sussex University 725 31% 10% 7% 15% 6% 16% 12% 2%
  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 The ConservativeHome Party Members' Survey is a self-selecting panel, not a demographically or geographically weighted poll. The panel is composed of over 3,300 members of the Conservative Party, who receive the survey by email.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Sample of party members who responded to a survey issued by the right-wing Popular Conservatism group. The survey did not use an independent polling organisation.
  3. 'Don't know' and 'None' removed
Candidate MPs' 1st ballot:
4 September 2024[9]
MPs' 2nd ballot:
10 September 2024[29]
MPs' 3rd ballot:
8 October 2024
MPs' 4th ballot:
9 October 2024
Members' vote:
10–31 October
Votes %[a] Votes ± %[a] Votes ± %[a] Votes ± %[a] Votes %
Kemi Badenoch 22 18.6 28 Increase6 23.5 30 Increase2 25.2 42 Increase12 34.7 53,806 56.5
Robert Jenrick 28 23.7 33 Increase5 27.7 31 Decrease2 26.1 41 Increase10 33.9 41,388 43.5
James Cleverly 21 17.8 21 Steady 17.6 39 Increase18 32.8 37 Decrease2 30.6 Eliminated
Tom Tugendhat 17 14.4 21 Increase4 17.6 20 Decrease1 16.8 Eliminated
Mel Stride 16 13.6 16 Steady 13.4 Eliminated
Priti Patel 14 11.9 Eliminated
Votes cast 118 97.5 119 Increase1 98.3 120 Increase1 99.2 120 Steady 99.2 95,194 72.8
Abstentions 3 2.5 2 Decrease1 1.7 1 Decrease1 0.8 1 Steady 0.8
Registered voters 121 100.0 121 0 100.0 121 0 100.0 121 0 100.0 131,680 100.0


  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Percentage of voting electorate for candidates, percentage of total electorate for votes cast.

References

[change | change source]
  1. Heale, James (2024-07-11). "Sunak apologises to Tory MPs for election mess". The Spectator. Retrieved 2024-07-11.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Conservative party plans to unveil next leader in November". Financial Times. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Rogers, Alexandra. "Tory leadership race: James Cleverly knocked out - leaving Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch as final two facing party membership vote". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-10-09.
  4. Maidment, Jack (2024-07-24). "Politics latest news: Tory MP says he'll nominate Priti Patel as next party leader". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  5. Pannell, Jack (2024-07-29). "2024 Conservative Party leadership contest". Institute for Government. Archived from the original on 2024-09-08. Retrieved 2024-09-08.
  6. "Kemi Badenoch enters Tory leadership race to replace Rishi Sunak". Sky News. Retrieved 2024-07-28.
  7. Francis, Sam (25 July 2024). "Jenrick becomes third Tory leadership candidate". BBC News. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  8. Rayner, Gordon (2024-07-27). "Priti Patel enters Tory leadership race promising to give members more say in policy". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2024-07-27.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Maidment, Jack (4 September 2024). "Robert Jenrick on top in first round of Tory leadership race as Priti Patel eliminated". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  10. "Mel Stride to stand in Conservative leadership contest". The Guardian. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  11. "Mel Stride out as four left in Tory leadership contest". BBC News. 2024-09-10. Retrieved 2024-09-10.
  12. "Tugendhat joins race to be next Tory leader". BBC News. 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  13. "Tugendhat knocked out of Tory leadership race". BBC News. 2024-10-08. Retrieved 2024-10-08.
  14. "James Cleverly running for Conservative leadership". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  15. Holl-Allen, Genevieve (2024-07-07). "Victoria Atkins pitches herself as unity candidate as Tory leadership race speculation rises". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  16. Martin, Daniel (2024-07-24). "Victoria Atkins: I am not running for Tory leader". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  17. "Suella Braverman pulls out of Tory leader contest with a parting shot". Telegraph. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  18. 18.0 18.1 "The Conservative leadership race will be crowded, protracted and likely bitter". Politics.co. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  19. "Oh for Fox's sake – politicalbetting.com". 2024-06-27. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  20. 20.0 20.1 Singh, Hugo Gye, Jane Merrick, Arj (2024-07-07). "Sunak wants to quit within weeks – as Tugendhat, Jenrick and Braverman line up bids". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-09-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  21. Cunliffe, Rachel (2024-07-04). "What happens if Rishi Sunak loses his seat?". New Statesman. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  22. Churchill, David (2024-07-15). "Top Conservatives say party must take time to find new leader". Mail Online. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  23. Farmer, Michael (2024-07-21). "Sir Iain Duncan Smith should be caretaker leader of the Conservatives". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  24. Sivier, Mike (2024-07-17). "Will the new Tory leader be Iain Duncan Smith?". Vox Political. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  25. Burford, Rachael (2024-07-08). "Conservatives in 'no rush' to appoint new leader, says ex-Tory minister". Evening Standard. Retrieved 2024-10-01.
  26. "North Yorkshire MP fails in bid to stand for Tory leadership". York Press. 2024-07-30. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  27. Manancourt, Vincent (July 6, 2024). "Jeremy Hunt rules himself out of Tory leadership race". Politico. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  28. "'We need someone to stop Farage': Tories begin leadership hunt for their saviour". inews. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  29. Nevett, Joshua (2024-09-10). "Mel Stride out as four left in Tory leadership contest". BBC News. Retrieved 2024-09-10.