Conservative Party Leadership Race Heats Up In Birmingham

Leadership contender Kemi Badenoch during the Conservative Party Conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, England, Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Jacob King/PA via AP)

Four contenders vying to lead Britain's Conservative Party made their case at the party's annual conference in Birmingham, England. Former Immigration Minister, ex-Business Secretary, former Foreign Secretary, and ex-Security Minister are each striving to steer the right-of-center party back to power after a devastating election loss.

The Conservative Party suffered a significant blow in the July election, securing only 121 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons, while the center-left Labour Party clinched over 400 seats. The leadership hopefuls are aiming to revamp the party's image, defeat Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party, and regain power by the next election in 2029.

The leadership race has narrowed down to four candidates, with former centrist Robert Jenrick and libertarian Kemi Badenoch emerging as frontrunners. The party members will vote to eliminate two candidates next week, followed by a final vote to select the leader, scheduled for November 2.

Party suffered significant loss in July election, aiming to revamp image and defeat Labour Party.

Conservative Party leadership contenders present visions at annual conference in Birmingham.

Leadership race narrows to four candidates, with frontrunners Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch.

Conference theme 'review and rebuild' sets tone for event resembling U.S. convention.

Incoming leader to inherit party turmoil post-Boris Johnson and Liz Truss ousting.

Public interest in leadership contest lukewarm, majority skeptical about candidates' chances.

Conservatives face challenges from hard-right Reform U.K. party, adopting right-leaning stances.

The conference theme, 'review and rebuild,' set the tone for the event, which resembled a U.S. convention with banners, branded merchandise, and enthusiastic speeches. The candidates presented their visions, with Tom Tugendhat emphasizing his military background as a leadership asset, while James Cleverly sought to embody optimism and normalcy in the party.

The incoming leader will inherit a party grappling with internal turmoil following the ousting of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his short-lived successor Liz Truss. The Conservatives also faced challenges from the hard-right Reform U.K. party in the recent election, prompting some members to adopt more right-leaning stances on immigration and human rights.

Despite the leadership contest, public interest appears lukewarm, with a recent poll showing that a majority of respondents are indifferent to the candidates and skeptical about their chances against Keir Starmer in a general election. The Conservative Party faces an uphill battle to regain public trust and political dominance, regardless of who assumes the leadership role.