Tories seek to rebuild following Sir Keir Starmer’s landslide victory over Rishi Sunak in UK election

With a downtrodden Sunak resigning as party leader after its election flop, one of these future Conservative leaders is now left with a massive task ahead of them.

Labour is set to rule Brittania now for a whole generation such has been its comprehensive decimation of the Conservative Party.

But the historic defeat has not only ousted the party from government but also seen many of its leading lights, some touted and groomed as future leaders, lose their seats.

Rishi Sunak formally resigned as party leader on Friday morning, but just who will replace him and pull the party together will be a challenge. King Charles III accepted Sunak’s resignation.

The only guarantee Conservatives are saying for any hope of securing political primacy to be a credible opposition, would be a leader from the right faction, tough enough to “rebuild from ashes”.

Rishi Sunak conceded defeat in the UK’s general elections as Labour secured a huge win. Picture AFP

It was a fissure in Tory left-right thinking and mixed doctrine that effectively saw voters who would normally support the Conservatives shift to Nigel Farage’s right wing Reform UK.

Former defence minister and potential next Conservatives leader Grant Shapps was an early and prominent seat loser.

Commons leader Penny Mordaunt – who shot to international social media fame after carrying two heavy swords during King Charles’ coronation – was also lining up for a leadership contest but lost her seat to Labour by less than 1000 votes.

Tory chancellor Jeremy Hunt and popular immigration minister Robert Jenrick both retained their seats and were now expected to jockey for party leadership support.

Former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Dame Priti Patel, security minister Tom Tugendhat and Health Secretary Victoria Atkins are also touted contenders.

Former Business and Trade Secretary and staunch right thinker Kemi Badenoch was also a strong contender to replace Mr Sunak.

The 44-year-old noted anti-woke warrior became an MP in 2017 and has had a meteoric rise, becoming a darling of Conservative right-wingers with her direct approach.

Badenoch, born in west London but grew up in Nigeria and the US before returning to London, has cited Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill as two of her heroes.

She has been outspoken on many issues and clashed with her own MPs and stood unsuccessfully for the party leadership when Boris Johnson resigned in 2022.

Kemi Badenoch, Secretary of State for Business and Trade. Picture: Getty

UK’s former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Picture: AFP

And what of Boris? The former prime minister stepped back into politics to deliver an entertaining speech in support of the Tories on the eve of the election, effectively signalling his continued attachment to the party despite being punted out of office in scandal.

Many Conservatives are seeing him likely to again return to a leadership role but not before the 2029 election and after finding a constituency willing to elect him.

David Frost, a House of Lords peer and former chief negotiator for exiting the European Union in Johnson’s government, said the party needed to re-establish with genuine right conservatism.

“The Conservative Party as we know it may well be badly damaged or even largely wiped out so to revive conservative ideas, to bring real Conservatives together after the cataclysm, perhaps we will need to create a new movement, one for “reformed conservatism”,” he said.

Penny Mordaunt was unable to conjure enough voters to hold her seat. Picture: Getty

TOP TORIES SEEKING TO LEAD THE CONSERVATIVES

If Rishi Sunak resigns following his election defeat, these are the top Tories tipped for leadership – if they can hold onto their seats first:

Penny Mordaunt – A former magician’s assistant went internationally viral after being tasked with carrying two heavy swords during King Charles’ coronation. Unable to conjure enough voters though to hold her seat.

Grant Shapps – The former Defence Secretary was seen as a “unifier” to pull the Tories back together after anticipated routing of his government. But lost his seat

Kemi Badenoch – The anti-woke warrior seen as a leading light of the Tory Right. Had pitched for the leadership previously and expected to do so again if she survives in her seat.

Robert Jenrick – Popular former Immigration Minister is a right wing covert who can appeal to centrists and younger voters.

(FILES) Britain's Minister of State for Immigration Robert Jenrick leaves 10 Downing Street in central London on December 5, 2023, after attending a cabinet meeting. UK immigration minister quits over Rwanda bill. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)

Britain's Home Secretary Priti Patel is a strong contender for leadership. Picture: AFP

Dame Priti Patel – Assured to return to parliament having taken more than 50 per cent of the vote in every general election since 2010. Was very close to Rishi Sunak, has a solid support base in the party and is a strong contender for leadership.

Tom Tugendhat – Should be comfortably returned to parliament and is seen as a front runner for the leadership position with his moderate thinking

Suella Braverman – Always expected to retain seat but the high profile MP deemed a maverick and radical to the point of calling for Nigel Farage to join the party

James Cleverly – Seen as a party unifier and while many have appealed for him to have a go he had already declared prior to the election result he was not wanting to be leader

Boris Johnson – Not in this election cycle but still very politically active, made headlines on the eve of the election to remind the public he was still about. Has never said “never” and is expected to re-enter the political fray in time for the 2029 election.

Originally published as Tories seek to rebuild following Sir Keir Starmer’s landslide victory over Rishi Sunak in UK election