- author, Paul Seddon
- Role, Political Correspondent
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James Cleverly has called on the Conservatives to show more “self-discipline” after becoming the first MP to confirm his candidacy to become the party’s next leader.
The former home and foreign secretary blamed “too much time spent rowing among ourselves” for the party’s election defeat earlier this month.
He also called on the Conservatives to “broaden our base of support” as they seek to recover from their worst-ever result in modern history.
More candidates are expected to announce their candidacies in the coming days, ahead of the deadline to secure nominations which ends on Monday.
Candidates need the support of 10 of their colleagues to stand in the three-month contest to succeed Rishi Sunak as leader.
“No to mergers”
Other potential candidates include former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Dame Priti Patel, shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat and shadow communities minister Kemi Badenoch.
Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick is also expected to stand, while former minister Mel Stride has also said he is considering a leadership bid.
In addition to serving in Mr Sunak’s government, Mr Cleverly has also held a range of less senior government roles under Boris Johnson.
Indicating that he would try to run in the elections on the basis of uniting the party’s various factions, he said the party’s achievements in power were “overshadowed” by internal differences.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Johnson also said the party would need to broaden its appeal, and said the party was “not doing mergers” when asked if it could get closer to Nigel Farage’s UK Reform Party.
in Article for The TelegraphHe wrote that he wanted the Conservative Party to be a “natural home” for Liberal Democrat and Labour voters, as well as reform supporters.
He also called for raising defence spending to 3% of national income “as soon as possible” and building more housing in urban areas.
Despite calls from some MPs to change the leadership rules, the party has kept the same system – in place since 1998 – for choosing Mr Sunak’s successor.
This will see Conservative MPs reduce the number of candidates with enough backing to four by the time of the party’s annual conference in Birmingham at the end of September.
In a series of additional ballots, MPs will then narrow the field down to two finalists, and party members will then choose the winner.
Online voting is scheduled to end on October 31, with the results announced two days later on November 2, three days before the US presidential election.
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