The four candidates competing to lead Britain’s Conservative Party began to outline their plans for the future on September 29, with immigration emerging as a central issue following the party’s crushing defeat in the July election. The candidates, including frontrunners Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister, and Kemi Badenoch, a former trade minister, presented their visions at the start of the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham.
Jenrick focused heavily on immigration, advocating for a “legally binding cap” on the number of people allowed into Britain and suggesting that the country should leave the European Convention on Human Rights to address deportation challenges. Badenoch, while acknowledging the importance of immigration numbers, emphasized the need for cultural integration, stating, “Who comes into the country is absolutely critical, and leadership needs to start from the top.”
Other candidates, including former foreign minister James Cleverly and former security minister Tom Tugendhat, echoed the call for the party to rebuild trust with voters. They stressed the need to overcome the internal divisions and scandals that have plagued the Conservatives in recent years.
The leadership contest will dominate the conference, with the four candidates set to address delegates on October 2. The field will be narrowed to two candidates later in October, and party members will vote on the new leader, with the result to be announced on November 2. The next leader will be the party’s fifth since former Prime Minister David Cameron stepped down in 2016.