Elections to the Conservative leadership appear to be open, with candidates from almost every ideological branch of the party. With a tory nation and fiscal conservatives, Brexiters and the rest, there will be a variety of views that parliamentarians and activists will take into account.
Here is a summary of the runners and runners, and what we know about their political and social positions.
Tom Tugendhat
The former soldier has won the support of Damian Green, chairman of the caucus of Conservative MPs for One Nation, giving him an edge over Jeremy Hunt with softer Tories.
In launching his candidacy with an article in the Daily Telegraph, Tugendhat gave a unifying note, promising to “bridge the Brexit gap,” but also called for the immediate reversal of the recent increase in national insurance, to which he also went. oppose Labor.
Jeremy Hunt
As chair of the health and social care committee during the Covid crisis, Hunt became rigidly attached to health policy and patient safety, on which he recently wrote a book.
But his political argument when he introduced the leadership in 2019 included raising the national insurance threshold (a tax cut for low- and middle-income people) and raising defense spending to 2.5% of GDP , which Boris Johnson also recently defended. He was also less harsh with Brexit, speaking out against the no-deal option.
Penny Mordaunt
An ardent Brexit man, Mordaunt infuriated the rest during the 2016 referendum campaign by erroneously stating that the UK would not have a veto on Turkey’s accession to the EU.
However, in terms of economic policy, it is on the Conservative left, supporting food banks (called “pantries”) in its North Portsmouth constituency and pushing for more government action on the cost of living crisis. She is also a strong advocate for LGBT rights.
Sajid Javid
Javid was portrayed as a low-tax conservative after resigning as chancellor in 2020, but after replacing the disgraced Matt Hancock as health secretary, he struggled to raise health and social spending and signed up to the plan. of increasing national insurance. contributions to finance it.
He also focused on health inequalities in his latest post, and previously highlighted the importance of higher education schools, having attended them himself.
Nadhim Zahawi
Perhaps not surprising for a wealthy former businessman independently – the second richest MP in parliament after Sunak – the new chancellor has already hinted that he would like to cut corporate taxes.
He also suggested that there be other tax cuts, although Johnson’s interim cabinet has since pledged to save important tax decisions until there is a new leader.
Rishi Sunak
Sunak’s policy is very dry in terms of taxes and spending: like Philip Hammond and George Osborne before him, he has defended the importance of controlling public finances, in his case even when it has meant raising taxes before an economic recession.
He is socially liberal, although he has incorporated anti-awakening warrior Oliver Dowden into his campaign team and is a fan of American-style entrepreneurship.
Liz Truss
Truss campaigned to stay in 2016, but has since enthusiastically become Brexiter and has taken a hard line in recent months on the Northern Ireland protocol.
Like many of the candidates, he would be expected to demand a lower tax burden. She has also long been an advocate of a right-wing version of individual freedom, memorably celebrating a generation of “Uber-riding, Airbnb-ing, Deliveroo-eating freedom fighters.”
Braverman sole
The Attorney General launched her leadership speech promising to ‘get rid of all this awakened rubbish’, and also said that there is a ‘rights culture’ in the UK that has become ‘out of control’.
Wool-dyed Brexiter recently won applause from the party’s right by taking a legal look at the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, although many experts suggest it violates international law.
Kemi Badenoch
The former Equality Minister, known for her willingness to embrace the controversy over cultural war issues, said she was proposing because she wanted to “tell the truth”.
Writing in the Times, Saffron MP Walden criticized the “identity policy” and said Boris Johnson was “a symptom of the problems we face, not the cause of them”.
He added that he supported tax cuts “to boost growth and productivity, and accompanied by strict spending discipline.”