Favourites to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader revealed after crushing defeat to Labour

Badenoch, Tugendhat and Patel are all possible candidates

PA/Getty
George Bunn

By George Bunn


Published: 05/07/2024

- 10:11

Updated: 05/07/2024

- 13:42

Several top Tories including Jacob Rees Mogg, Grant Shapps and Penny Morduant all lost their seats

Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat and Priti Patel have emerged as favourites to become the new Conservative leader.

Rishi Sunak has stood down as Conservative leader and Prime Minister following last night's brutal defeat.


The current bookies' favourite to be the next Tory leader is North West Essex MP Kemi Badenoch, who is on 2/1 on William Hill. The Business Secretary had the highest net satisfaction rating of any Cabinet minister among readers of the influential ConservativeHome website in May.

She came fourth in the contest to succeed Boris Johnson in July 2022, and has hinted at a potential Tory leadership run after the election.

Badenoch, Tugendhat and Patel are all candidates\u200b

Badenoch, Tugendhat and Patel are all possible candidates

PA/Getty

Tom Tugendhat, former Minister of State for Security was re-elected to serve Tonbridge in Kent and is 4/1 on William Hill to succeed.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel had been tipped as a grassroots favourite, the Whitam MP was recently urged by supporters to stand for the Tory leadership. William Hill puts her on 6/1.

Fareham and Waterlooville MP and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman is 8/1. However, she might struggle to beat Badenoch for the support of the Right of the party, having made an early exit in the 2022 leadership race.

There is some speculation that Reform UK leader and Clacton MP Nigel Farage could take the reigns of the Tories by defecting from inside Westminster. He is 7/1 to succeed according to William Hill.

Suella Braverman

Former home secretary Suella Braverman

PA

Robert Jenrick, former Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is another prospective MP to replace Rishi Sunak with his odds jumping up to 4/1.

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