Mel Stride Enters Conservative Leadership Race Following Sunak's Tenure

Mel Stride has officially announced his candidacy in the Conservative leadership race, aiming to succeed Rishi Sunak. The former work and pensions secretary emphasized his commitment to holding Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer accountable and expressed confidence in his ability to unite the party to regain public trust. Stride has already secured the necessary backing from 10 MPs, following encouragement from several colleagues to enter the contest. Stride joins a growing list of candidates, including former Home Secretary James Cleverly and ex-Home Office ministers Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick. A close ally of Sunak during the previous government, Stride was often entrusted with media engagements throughout the election campaign. He recently retained his Devon constituency seat by a narrow margin of just 61 votes against Labour, highlighting the challenges the party faces. In his remarks on election night, Stride acknowledged the need for the Conservative Party to reflect on recent electoral outcomes and work towards re-establishing itself as the "natural party of government." He cautioned that this process would require time and strategic planning to regain voter confidence. Candidates have until Monday to gather the required nominations from fellow MPs. Those who qualify will spend the summer campaigning, with MPs set to narrow the field to four candidates before party members vote on the final two. The new leader is expected to be announced on 2 November, with Sunak remaining in his position until then.