When it came to the election to succeed Rishi Sunak, the former home secretary was competing against five other candidates. However, she was unsuccessful at the first hurdle and ended up coming in last place in the voting.
With 28 votes, former Minister of Immigration Robert Jenrick came out on top of the poll, followed by Kemi Badenoch, who was largely considered to be the favourite candidate, with 22 votes.
Another former home secretary, James Cleverly, received 21 votes, a former minister of security named Tom Tugendhat received 17, and Mel Stride, the most recent secretary of the Department of Work and Pensions, received 16 votes. Merely fourteen votes were cast for Dame Priti.
There were a total of 118 votes cast, which indicates that three members of the Conservative Party did not have their voices heard.
However, there is still a considerable amount of time left before the next head of the opposition is inaugurated.
There will be an additional round of voting on the following Tuesday in order to narrow the ballot down to four candidates. After that, they will be subjected to hustings onstage during the Conservative Party conference that will take place at the end of the month.
Following another vote by members of parliament, the wider party membership will then choose their leader from the two candidates who are still in the running. The outcome of this election is anticipated to be disclosed on November 2nd.
Later on Wednesday, Dame Priti published a statement on X in which she expressed her gratitude to party members for their support throughout the campaign and urged the other candidates to keep in mind that they are “the heart and soul of our party.”
She concluded by saying, “To win back the trust of the British people, we must unite around our Conservative values and show how they can offer solutions to the challenges our country faces.”
Additionally, once the outcome was revealed, Ms. Badenoch posted on X a message in which she expressed her gratitude to her supporters and said, “It is time to deal with hard truths today rather than big problems tomorrow.”
“I look forward to making the case for renewal around the country, with colleagues and members.”
In his remarks, Mr. Tugendhat paid thanks to his “friend Priti” as well as the “good Conservatives” that he is competing against.
However, he continued by saying, “Only I am capable of delivering the revival of conservatism that our party and our nation require.”
It is my intention to lead the opposition in the same manner that I would lead the government as prime minister: by serving the people of the United Kingdom, leading with conviction, and working to improve our nation. That is the commitment I make, and I assure you that I never fail to keep my word.
“There is all to play for, and it’s clear where the ‘Melmentum’ is!” Mr. Stride remarked, adding that he was “delighted” to receive the opportunity to advance to the next round. The trust and competence that we have lost will be restored, and I will lead us back into government.
When compared to the other candidates on the ballot, Dame Priti stands out due to the extensive experience she possesses. Given that she has been a member of parliament for the Conservative Party since 2010, she has established herself as the elected official with the greatest years of experience.
She became a famous advocate for conservative ideals during her time working as Boris Johnson’s home secretary, which contributed to the establishment of her profile. On the other hand, when it comes to the level of attention she received, her successor, Suella Braverman, was rather more prominent than she was.
Despite this, she had portrayed herself as a candidate for unity in this conflict, arguing that the party needed to maintain its concentration on winning the next election rather than permitting itself to become entangled in unneeded drama and self-centredness. She stressed in a very strong manner that the party must take measures to avoid this from occurring.
A representative from the Labour Party responded to the competition by stating, “The Tories have managed to reduce the number of contenders from six individuals who contributed to 14 years of chaos and decline to five individuals who also played a role in 14 years of chaos and decline.”
“Based on our observations, it appears that none of them are willing to learn from past experiences.”