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LONDON — Rishi Sunak will remain in place as the UK’s interim Opposition Leader for over three months after the Conservative Party set out the timetable to elect his successor by November, with nominations opening on Wednesday.
The 1922 Committee of backbench members of Parliament responsible for the Tory leadership race on Monday evening unveiled a two-phase election process that will see the new leader being installed on November 2.
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The 44-year-old British Indian leader, who had announced his resignation on July 5 after the party’s worst general election defeat, had said he would remain in place as interim Tory leader until his successor has been elected.
“I will stay in post until November 2 and the result of our leadership election,” said Sunak.
“This will allow our party to fulfil its role as the official opposition professionally and effectively. I believe this is what is best for the Conservative Party and, most importantly, our country,” he said.
“It would be inappropriate for me to make any comment about the leadership campaign or candidates. I am confident that this timetable decided by the party board and the 1922 Committee will allow for a thoughtful, professional and respectful contest,” he added.
Among the leading Tories expected to contest to become the Opposition Leader include former Indian-origin home secretaries Priti Patel and Suella Braverman, shadow ministers James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat and Mel Stride, and former minister Robert Jenrick.
To be nominated, each candidate will require a proposer, seconder, and eight further nominations which would mean a maximum of 11 possible Tory MPs could be on the ballot paper by the time nominations close on July 29.
This will be followed by a first round of campaigning in August after which the Conservative Parliamentary Party will whittle down the candidates to four MPs, with votes scheduled between September 4 and 11.
The Tory party conference between September 29 and October 2 will be seen as a so-called “beauty contest” when the four finalists will be given key speaking slots to address the wider Conservative membership and make their pitch.
The parliamentary party will get a second-round vote to further whittle down candidates to the final two by October 10, who will go ahead for a head-to-head clash in an online ballot by the entire Tory membership.
After voting closes on October 31, the winner will be declared on November 2.
Bob Blackman, the newly elected Chair of the 1922 committee, said he believed this timetable would allow for “a respectful and thorough leadership debate.”
“While there are significant debates to be had about our party's future, we must remember that the country – and our members – want to see us engaged in proper debate not personal attacks,” he said.