James Cleverly, former home secretary, has emerged as a frontrunner in the Conservative Party leadership race. Following a turbulent week for his rivals Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick, Cleverly called for his party to embrace a more relatable and positive image.
Addressing the final day of the Tory conference in Birmingham, Cleverly urged the Conservatives to be “enthusiastic, relatable, positive, optimistic – let’s be more normal.”
In a speech that acknowledged the recent chaos in the party, Cleverly apologized to both the membership and the country. “Victory will come again,” he assured, calling for the Tories to reflect a more mainstream and approachable tone as they seek to reconnect with voters.
This sentiment appeared to strike a chord with the party faithful. After a series of challenging headlines, Badenoch, the shadow housing secretary, also received a warm response from the conference attendees, particularly for her strong views on issues like net zero and identity politics. In a defiant speech, she said it was “time to tell the truth,” while vowing to take on her critics.
Badenoch shared a personal experience from her upbringing, recalling the fear she lived with daily.
“I grew up in a place where fear was everywhere. Listening as you hear your neighbors scream, as they are being burgled and beaten … When you’ve experienced that kind of fear, you’re not worried about being attacked on Twitter.”
Kemi Badenoch
Her remarks came after criticism surrounding her earlier comments on maternity pay and her stance against civil servants. Despite these controversies, her speech — packed with attacks on identity politics and the “poisoning” of society — brought the audience to its feet.
Jenrick Promises New Conservatives Movement
Similarly, Robert Jenrick, another key contender in the race, took the opportunity to solidify his position by aligning himself with traditional conservative values. He vowed to create “New Conservatives,” echoing Tony Blair’s “New Labour.”
Jenrick’s pitch centered on balancing tolerance with an uncompromising stance on core issues, particularly on the controversial Batley school incident, where a teacher faced backlash for showing a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad.
Both Badenoch and Jenrick have capitalized on the right-wing themes dominating the party’s current discourse, reinforcing their views on gender, diversity, and environmental policies.
Jenrick also faced scrutiny for controversial remarks suggesting British special forces were shooting terrorists to avoid complications with European law — a comment criticized by rival Tom Tugendhat.
Cleverly, however, distanced himself from such divisive rhetoric, emphasizing his experience and readiness to lead. Without naming his rivals directly, he alluded to their shortcomings in leadership, saying, “I know in detail what the government should be doing right now. I know in detail how they’re failing. Now is not the time for an apprentice.”
Cleverly also took a veiled swipe at Badenoch’s ongoing complaints about media misrepresentation. “Choose someone who you know and who is tested and who doesn’t hide from the media,” he said, in a clear contrast to his rival’s more combative approach.
The biggest moment of applause during Cleverly’s speech came when he ruled out any collaboration with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
“Mark my words, we will beat Reform by being the best version of ourselves, not a pale version of anyone else. So no mergers, no deals.”
James Cleverly
Meanwhile, Tugendhat, a former military officer, positioned himself as a decisive leader, promising a tough stance on immigration. He suggested capping net migration and even hinted at the possibility of leaving the European Convention on Human Rights — although he admitted these issues were complex and not easily solved.
As the contest moves into its final phase, Cleverly appears to have seized the momentum, with the odds of him reaching the final two in the members’ vote shortening dramatically over the past 48 hours.
Conservative MPs will soon make their choice, with the leadership of the party — and the direction of the UK — hanging in the balance.
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