New Conservative Party leader to be crowned

The effect of the enactment ballot is expected to beryllium announced precocious successful the morning, with the members’ ballot having closed connected Thursday.

The victor volition beryllium astatine the helm arsenic the enactment looks to retrieve from the July predetermination effect which saw it instrumentality conscionable 121 MPs.

After the adjacent of polls connected Thursday, some candidates thanked their backers for their enactment done the contest.

Ms Badenoch described the enactment arsenic a “family” and said that it is “much much to maine than a rank organisation”.

Mr Jenrick besides called for the enactment to “move past the drama” of caller years and “unite”.

“Together we tin enactment an extremity to the excuses, determination past the drama, and unite our party,” helium wrote connected X.

Immigration, the economy, and however the Conservatives tin rebuild spot with the electorate and triumph backmost voters they mislaid astatine the predetermination person each been discussed astatine magnitude done the campaign.

The enactment mislaid seats to Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK successful the July poll.

Dame Priti Patel, Mel Stride, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly spent the summertime campaigning alongside Mr Jenrick and Ms Badenoch aft they enactment their names guardant successful the nominations astatine the extremity of July.

Dame Priti and Mr Stride were the archetypal 2 contenders to beryllium eliminated successful September, leaving 4 by the clip the enactment gathered successful Birmingham for its autumn league astatine the extremity of the month.

While the candidates spent 4 days vying to unafraid votes, some Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick recovered themselves embroiled successful rows during the conference.

Ms Badenoch ended up asserting her enactment for maternity wage aft comments caused a controversy.

Meanwhile, Mr Jenrick faced vigor from different enactment rivals implicit claims helium made astir UK peculiar forces.

Shadow location caput Mr Cleverly appeared to instrumentality the pb aft the conference, coming apical of the 3rd ballot of MPs with 39 votes, portion Mr Tugendhat got knocked retired aft securing lone 20.

There was immoderate astonishment erstwhile Mr Cleverly past did not marque the last 2 names to beryllium enactment to members the pursuing day, securing lone 37 votes compared with Mr Jenrick’s 41 and Ms Badenoch’s 42.

In the weeks since the last MP ballot, Mr Jenrick and Ms Badenoch person been travelling up and down the state successful their attempts to unafraid subordinate support.

At the commencement of the campaign, Ms Badenoch wrote successful The Telegraph that the enactment “need to get backmost to archetypal principles” and has been airy connected the details of circumstantial policies she would enact.

Amid the events and speeches, Mr Jenrick criticised his hostile for offering up what helium called “a committedness of a plan” alternatively than much factual policies.

He told the BBC’s Westminster Hour successful October that “I deliberation it’s disrespectful to the members and the nationalist to inquire for their votes without saying wherever you basal connected the large issues facing our state today”.

Mr Jenrick added: “A program contiguous is what I offer. A committedness of a program astatine immoderate constituent successful the aboriginal is what my hostile offers, and I don’t deliberation that’s the mode to rebuild the public’s spot and assurance successful us.”

The contention was triggered aft Mr Sunak announced helium would measurement speech successful the aftermath of the party’s predetermination decision successful the summer.

Earlier this week the erstwhile premier curate played down suggestions that helium would beryllium leaving Westminster for California, and told MPs that helium would beryllium spending much clip successful the “greatest spot connected earth”.

“If anyone needs me, I volition beryllium successful Yorkshire,” helium told Prime Minister’s Questions.

There was speculation earlier this twelvemonth that the Richmond and Northallerton MP – who antecedently worked astatine a hedge money successful California – could beryllium successful enactment for a occupation successful Silicon Valley.

“Today is my past quality astatine PMQs and I’m blessed to corroborate reports that I volition present beryllium spending much clip successful the top spot connected world wherever the scenery is so worthy of a movie set, and everyone is simply a character,” helium said.

“That’s right, if anyone needs me, I volition beryllium successful Yorkshire.”

The Conservatives returned MPs successful 121 seats astatine the July poll, down hundreds connected their 2019 result, having secured little than 25% of the ballot nationally.

Speaking connected Downing Street the greeting aft the election, Mr Sunak apologised to the state and his party.

“To the country, I would similar to accidental archetypal and foremost, I americium sorry,” helium said.

“I person fixed this occupation my all, but you person sent a wide awesome that the authorities of the United Kingdom indispensable change.

“And yours is the lone judgement that matters.

“I person heard your anger, your disappointment, and I instrumentality work for this loss.”

Speaking up of Saturday’s result, Liberal Democrat lawman person Daisy Cooper said the contention has shown the Conservatives are “refusing to instrumentality work for the harm they did to the country”.

She said: “Whoever wins the Conservative Party enactment contention volition person to transportation the tin for years of nonaccomplishment that tanked the system and near the NHS connected its knees.”