Kemi Badenoch
| Photo Credit: Reuters

London

Six British lawmakers have announced that they are running to lead the Conservative Party in a contest that will decide whether the Opposition party tacks to the right or steers toward the political centre ground.

Contenders include former Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and lawmaker Tom Tugendhat from the party’s centrist grouping. Former Home Secretary Priti Patel and ex-Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch have support from the right of the party.

Former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick and veteran lawmaker Mel Stride also have secured the required support of 10 Conservative lawmakers before the deadline on Monday. Ms. Badenoch, who came third in the party’s last leadership election in 2022, was the early favourite. The Nigeria-raised lawmaker used language reminiscent of Conservative icon Margaret Thatcher, saying the party should lead “a renewal for capitalism” built around a smaller state.”

In the wake of the party’s devastating election defeat this month, which saw it lose votes to parties on both right and left, Conservatives are split between moderates who want to try to win back centrist voters and hard-liners who want tougher migration and law and order policies to regain political territory lost to the Reform U.K. party led by anti-immigration firebrand Nigel Farage.