A Kent MP will be hoping to woo the Tory faithful today in his bid to become crowned its next leader.
The Conservative Party conference gets underway in Birmingham – with Tonbridge’s Tom Tugendhat among the four contenders to replace Rishi Sunak.
However, he faces a tough task – bookmakers make him the 18/1 long shot to emerge triumphant.
Leading the field is Robert Jenrick, followed by Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly.
The leadership candidates will all have an opportunity to address the conference, which will run until Wednesday, with all four touring the media circuit to champion their campaign. The party will have been buoyed by yet another raft of negative headlines for Labour following the resignation from the party of Canterbury MP Rosie Duffield.
Conservative parliamentarians will pick the final two on October 10 with the winner announced on November 2.
Tom Tugendhat previously told KentOnline he wants to bring back honesty and integrity to British politics.
Recently in the Telegraph, Mr Tugendhat, who has represented Tonbridge since 2015, said that the party was “rejected at the ballot box” and that people wanted “leadership that puts the country first.”
He also added the conference offers the party “a chance to change course”.
The Conservatives secured just 121 seats at the general election – shedding 244 on their performance in 2019.
Interim chair Richard Fuller will tell delegates in Birmingham that the parliamentary party “needs to learn and has to change” when he addresses the conference on Sunday.
Mr Fuller is expected to say: “I am profoundly sorry to you, the members of the Conservative Party. To our activists. To our current and former councillors, police and crime commissioners and mayors who found their strong local records of service were dominated by negative national headlines.
“To Conservative voters and the country at large for the consequence: a reckless, ideological socialist government with a huge majority based on a paltry share of the electorate. I am deeply sorry.”
In addition to pledging that the parliamentary party “will change,” Mr Fuller is expected to discuss the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, which both took seats from the Tories at the general election.
“The Liberal Democrats have already said they will cosy up to Labour whenever they can,” he will say.
“And what of Reform? Well, we gave them oxygen. We gave them space. We will take both back.”
