Abigail Amodu
Dame Priti Patel throws her hat into the ring for the Conservative Party leadership, pledging to revamp the Tories into a formidable force once more. The ex-home secretary underlines her wealth of political know-how, declaring her capability to breathe new life into the party post their recent electoral setback.
"I've been doing this for over 30 years, whether in power or out of it. I can whip us into shape to clinch victory in the upcoming general election," Patel confidently affirmed.
As the first woman to enter the race to replace Rishi Sunak, Patel joins contenders James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat, and Mel Stride. Expected to declare their candidacies soon are Kemi Badenoch, shadow communities secretary, and Suella Braverman, another former home secretary.
Since stepping down as home secretary in 2022 following Boris Johnson’s resignation, Patel has served as a backbench MP. She has been vocal in her criticism of recent Conservative leadership, blaming them for the party’s decline that led to the significant election defeat in July.
“It isn’t our heroic members who failed, but politicians’ distraction from public service,” Patel stated. “It is time to put unity before personal vendetta, country before party, and delivery before self-interest.”
Patel pledged to enhance party members' voices and focus on conservative policies addressing law and order, immigration, and healthcare to restore the party’s fortunes.
“We must now turn our conservative values into strong policies to bring about positive change for people across our country,” she emphasized.
Patel, who retained her Witham seat in the recent election, is a staunch Eurosceptic and a prominent Vote Leave campaign figure. She has been instrumental in immigration negotiations with France and in formulating a post-Brexit points-based immigration system.
Despite her achievements, Patel has faced bullying allegations. A 2020 Cabinet Office inquiry found that she had "unintentionally" breached the ministerial code in her behavior towards civil servants. The government's independent advisor on standards described her actions as "bullying" on some occasions. Nevertheless, then-Prime Minister Johnson allowed her to remain in her post and later awarded her a damehood in his resignation honors.
Patel’s political career includes serving in Theresa May's cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development and as Lord Hague's press secretary from 1997 to 2000.
Rishi Sunak will continue to lead the Conservative Party until his successor is chosen. The selection process will involve Tory MPs narrowing down the candidates to four by the party's annual conference in Birmingham at the end of September. Subsequent ballots will further reduce the field to two, with party members having the final say. The online vote will conclude on October 31, and the results will be announced on November 2, just before the US presidential election.
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