Mel Stride has confirmed he is standing in the Conservative leadership contest to replace Rishi Sunak. The former work and pensions secretary says he will hold Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “forensically” to account and believes he can unite the party to win back the public’s trust.
He says he already has the backing of the 10 MPs needed to enter the contest, after “a number of colleagues” suggested he stand. Mr Stride becomes the fourth person to throw their hat in the ring, after former Home Secretary James Cleverly, ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
He told BBC Breakfast Tory MPs knew their party was in a “tough spot”.
Mr Stride argued the party needed to look “to the future” and “build trust with the electorate again”. This required party unity and becoming an effective opposition, which sometimes meant “strongly supporting” the Labour government “when we think they’re doing the right thing”, he added.
Mr Stride said he was “in a good position” to unite the party and rebuild its “reputation for competence”.
“I am respected, I think, right across the parliamentary party. I was chair of the Treasury Select Committee, the leader of the House of Commons, all of those things are roles about bringing people together.
Source: BBC
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