The Conservative leadership race was set alight today as frontrunner Kemi Badenoch and rival James Cleverly launched their campaigns, both calling for a “state that does less”.
Former business and trade secretary Badenoch argued: “Government should do fewer things but better – and what it does, it should do with brilliance.”
While former foreign and home secretary Cleverly said: “The most important thing is to deliver on our promises and in order to do that we need to make fewer promises – but deliver on every single promise we make.”
It came as pollsters at JL Partners found hopefuls Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat had closed in on Badenoch, according to a new poll of party members – which did not include Cleverly or Mel Stride.
Badenoch’s campaign, dubbed ‘Renewal 2030’ has seen her embark on a listening tour of Tory associations, and announce her launch event with a video declaring she is “not afraid of Doctor Who” – in reference to a recent row with the sci-fi series actor David Tennant.
Speaking at the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), she secured endorsements from Cameron-era minister Lord Maude and former energy secretary Claire Coutinho, and vowed: “I don’t pretend I have all the answers, but I’m an engineer. I know how to find them.”
She called for a fresh focus on families, and argued in office her party had “talked right but governed left” – but did not outline her policy platform, instead stressing: “We can’t just keep having the same policy arguments from the last parliament. We lost. We are not in power.”
The North West Essex MP, who is widely seen as the frontrunner among Tory members. was supported by a group of MPs, including shadow science secretary Andrew Griffiths, shadow House of Commons leader Chris Philp, and shadow chief Treasury secretary Laura Trott.
Cleverly held his own event – just an hour later – at the Old War Office on Whitehall, now a plush hotel, where his bid, titled ‘Cleverly for Leader’, saw him argue for lower taxes, a smaller state, higher military spending and a free and safe society.
Introduced by newly-elected Leicester East MP Shivani Raja and campaign manager, and former defence secretary and ex-Welwyn Hatfield MP, Grant Shapps, he called for the party to “lead by example”, adding: “We must be unified… people don’t vote for divided parties.”
Cleverly lauded former Tory leaders Robert Peel, Benjamin Disraeli and Winston Churchill as decisive, and referenced his cabinet jobs under Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.
He warned of a “deeply unstable world” with “lights flashing red”, before promising to spend three per cent of UK GDP on defence, if he was elected to No10, arguing: “You can’t penny pinch your way to peace.”
The Braintree MP also called for the abolition of stamp duty, a land tax on property sales, calling it a “bad tax” which “stifles transactions in an already illiquid housing market”.
Cleverly also pledged he would reinstate the Rwanda deportation scheme, vowing: “I will rebuild a relationship so badly damaged by Labour’s arrogant and callous disregard.”
It comes as leadership contender and shadow security minister Tugendhat is set to formally launch his own bid on Tuesday, following a speech amid the recent far-right riots.
While ex-home secretary Dame Priti Patel and former migration minister Jenrick held launch events of their own in recent days as the contest hots up with MPs return to Parliament.
Former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride will not hold a formal launch event before the first knockout voting stage on Wednesday – but told the i paper he “has the numbers”.