- author, Catherine Armstrong
- Role, BBC News
Ms Priti Patel has said she can unite the Conservative Party and turn it “back into a winning machine” as she launches her campaign to become the party’s leader.
The former interior minister said her political experience meant she would be able to “reinvigorate” the party after its recent election defeat.
“I have done this for over thirty years of service in our party, both in government and in opposition. I can put us in the physical condition to win the next general election.”
Ms Pretty becomes the first woman to stand to replace Rishi Sunak, joining James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and Mel Stride.
The 52-year-old was widely expected to run for the party leadership. She is expected to be joined by others who have not yet announced their candidacy, including shadow communities secretary Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman, a former home secretary.
Ms Pretty has been an MP since stepping down as home secretary in 2022, following the resignation of her ally Boris Johnson.
May has been highly critical of the Conservative leadership in recent years, blaming them for the Conservatives’ slide in political support that culminated in their historic election defeat in July.
“It wasn’t our heroic members who failed, it was politicians distracting us from public service,” she said Saturday.
“It is time to put unity before personal revenge, country before party, and achievement of goals before self-interest.”
One point of difference between her and other leadership candidates, Ms. Pretty added, is that she will reward members’ dedication by giving them more of a voice in the party.
She also said that focusing on conservative policies on issues such as law and order, immigration and health care would reverse the party’s fortunes.
“We must now turn our conservative values into powerful policies to bring positive change to people across our country.”
Ms Pretty, who retained her seat in the Essex constituency of Witham at the last general election, is a Eurosceptic and was a leading figure in the Vote Leave campaign during the EU referendum.
The MP has also faced allegations of bullying. In 2020, a Cabinet Office investigation into her conduct concluded that Ms Patel had “unintentionally” breached the department’s code of conduct in her behaviour towards civil servants.
The government’s independent adviser on standards said at the time that “her approach at times amounted to behaviour that could be described as bullying”.
Johnson, who was prime minister at the time, decided that Pretty had not broken departmental rules and could remain in her post as home secretary.
He awarded her the Dame Medal during his resignation ceremony last year.
Ms Pretty also served in Theresa May’s government as Secretary of State for International Development, and was press secretary to Lord Hague from 1997 to 2000 after he became leader of the Conservative Party.
Rishi Sunak will remain leader of the Conservative Party until his successor is announced.
The process of choosing his replacement will see Conservative MPs whittle down the number of candidates who have enough support 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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