Kemi Badenoch has slammed ‘dirty tricks’ in the Tory leadership battle – as Mel Stride became the fourth confirmed candidate.
The former Cabinet minister lashed out on social media accusing a rival campaign of circulating a ‘dirty dossier’ about her.
It apparently includes posts made on a online chat room in 2007, when Ms Badenoch criticised Nigerian culture and branded Diane Abbott a ‘hypocrite’.
Ms Badenoch – who has yet to launch her bid but is seen by many as the front runner to succeed Rishi Sunak – said people were also trying to generate ‘petty and puerile’ bullying claims against her.
‘We can do better than this and I will be saying and writing more about how, in due course,’ she wrote. She did not specify which campaign she thought was responsible.
Mr Stride announced during a round of interviews this morning that he has secured the 10 MP backers needed to enter the race.
Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly and Robert Jenrick are the other contenders formally declared – with Priti Patel and Suella Braverman expected to pull the trigger soon.
Kemi Badenoch has slammed ‘dirty tricks’ in the Tory leadership battle
The former Cabinet minister lashed out on social media accusing a rival campaign of circulating a ‘dirty dossier’ about her
Mel Stride announced during a round of interviews this morning that he has secured the 10 MP backers needed to enter the race
The outcome could decide the fate of the party after its disastrous election rout, with One Nation and right-wing factions wrestling for control.
Mr Stride – who retained his Central Devon seat with a majority of just 61 on July 4 – said he believed he was the right person to ‘unite the party’.
He said: ‘What we know from the General Election is that we’re in a very, very difficult place as a party, and I worry about that because I care about my party and I care about my country.
‘We’ve substantially lost the trust of the British people and we’ve lost our reputation for competence, and I believe that I’m in a very good position to address those issues going forward.
‘In terms of trust, I think (the party) needs somebody who is going to be able to unite the party. People are not going to vote for a party that’s at each other’s throats all the time.
‘I am respected, I think, right across the parliamentary party. I was chair of the Treasury Select Committee, the leader of the House of Commons, all of those things are roles about bringing people together.’
Contenders need a proposer, seconder and eight other MP backers to stand, with nominations closing at 2.30pm on Monday.
Shadow home secretary Mr Cleverly was first to confirm he was running for the leadership, saying he was ‘grateful for all the support’ and ‘looking forward to getting out and about over the next few months’.
Mr Tugendhat talked up his experience as former security minister and in the armed forces as he launched his bid, telling GB News he has a ‘track record of delivery’ for the British people.
He said he was willing to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and denied that his change of tone on the matter was political opportunism.
He said he believed he could turn around the Tories’ disastrous result to win an election as leader of the Conservative Party in five years’ time but that the party needs to ‘be united’ and ‘regain the trust of the British people’.
However, he suffered an embarrassing setback
Mr Jenrick’s campaign team said the ex-immigration minister has gathered enough support to run.
His campaign manager Danny Kruger said Mr Jenrick has the ‘energy, temperament and policy agenda to take on our rivals and lead us back to power in five years’.
The parliamentary party will narrow the field down to four, who will make their case at the Conservative Party conference, which runs from September 29 to October 2.
The final two, picked by the parliamentary party, will then go to a vote of party members in an online ballot that will close on October 31 with the result announced on November 2.
