Mel Stride has entered the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as the leader of the Conservative Party.
The former work and pensions secretary joined James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick in the bid to become the next Leader of the Opposition.
It came as former home secretary Dame Priti Patel was last night expected to launch her own campaign.
Mr Stride was a staunch supporter of Mr Sunak and was regularly wheeled out to spread his government’s message during the general election campaign.
But the 62-year-old ignored suggestions he was a ‘continuity candidate’ and said he could ‘unite the party’, partly due to his previous role as leader of the House of Commons.
Former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride has joined James Cleverly , Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick in the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as Leader of the Opposition
It came as former home secretary Dame Priti Patel was last night expected to launch her own campaign, and is still predicted to do so
He told Sky News: ‘The reason that I did all those media rounds was that I had the courage and the drive to put my head above the parapet, and to go out and face the fire, because I wanted to save as many Conservative seats as I possibly could.
‘And I will take that resolve into leadership.’
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, he said the Tories needed to reorganise ‘into a fighting machine’ following a dismal set of election results.
‘I think what we know from the General Election is that we’re in a very, very difficult place as a party,’ he said.
‘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.’
Mr Stride, who has been the MP for Central Devon since 2010, remains an outsider among the leadership contenders, according to bookmakers.
Kemi Badenoch is the favourite for the role.
