Jenrick voted to remain within the EU within the 2016 Brexit referendum. However he got here to prominence when he co-authored (with Rishi Sunak, no much less) a Occasions op-ed endorsing Brexiteer Boris Johnson for chief.
Dropped from Johnson’s Cupboard workforce in 2021, not lengthy after changing into embroiled in an issue over a planning choice involving a Conservative donor, Jenrick made a authorities comeback as immigration minister beneath Sunak, however give up final yr in protest on the authorities’s repeated failure to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The indicators he was mulling a management bid have been all there — ably assisted by Ozempic, he shed the kilos and obtained a snazzy new haircut. And he wooed influential right-wing MPs together with Danny Kruger and John Hayes, who beforehand backed Jenrick’s outdated boss and failed management hopeful Suella Braverman.
Coverage sensible, Jenrick has pledged to depart the European Conference on Human Rights on day one if he wins the election and to cap immigration. These shall be common concepts amongst Tory members, even when the sensible particulars are … fairly a bit tougher to iron out. Jenrick additionally says he desires to do extra on home constructing — and he’s racking up large donations.
Tom Tugendhat: The Cameron
Tom Tugendhat is the One Nation candidate within the contest, making an attempt to faucet into the identical modernizing, centrist instincts as former Prime Minister David Cameron. That’s a troublesome promote to a Tory membership that picked Boris Johnson after which chaos service provider Liz Truss the previous few time it was given a vote. He’s even channeled Labour’s Keir Starmer at factors by pledging to return politics to the values of public service after years of inside celebration squabbling.
Elected in 2015, Tugendhat had served a protracted navy profession in Iraq and Afghanistan earlier than coming into politics. The shadow safety minister is rarely happier than when pontificating on world affairs — and has even been sanctioned by China for strongly criticizing Beijing.
Conscious the Tory membership is extra right-wing than the British citizens, Tugendhat initially wrote about being ready to go away the ECHR however later spoke about reforming the conference as a substitute. He additionally helps capping immigration, a place advocated however by no means met within the Cameron years. Tugendhat has warned that Brits will “by no means vote for a celebration that they’ve stopped taking critically,” and even apologized for the final authorities’s failings.
He’s had some … enjoyable moments. Sharp-eyed on-line observers noticed that his marketing campaign’s opening pitch spelled out “Turd” when learn in a sure approach. And he as soon as sparked a Twitter storm by responding to his four-year-old daughter getting a Valentine’s day card by posting … a picture of himself in full navy gear with a gun. As you do.