Dame Priti Patel has said she can unite the Tories and turn them “back into a winning machine” as she launched her bid for the party’s leadership. The former home secretary said her political experience meant she would be able to “reinvigorate” the party following its recent election defeat. I have done this throughout my 30 plus years of service to our Party, in both government and opposition. I can get us match fit to win the next general election.
Dame Priti is the first woman to throw her hat into the ring to replace Rishi Sunak, and joins James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat and Mel Stride. The 52-year-old was widely expected to run for the leadership. Other people who are expected to join her but have not yet declared include the shadow communities secretary Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman, another former home secretary.
Dame Priti has been a backbench MP since stepping down as home secretary in 2022, following the resignation of her ally Boris Johnson. She has been highly critical of the Conservative Party’s leadership in recent years, blaming them for the Tories’ slide from political favour that culminated in July’s historic election defeat.
“It isn’t our heroic members who failed, but politicians’ distraction from public service,” she said on Saturday. It is time to put unity before personal vendetta, country before party, and delivery before self-interest. Dame Priti added that one point of difference between her and other leadership candidates was that she would reward members’ dedication by giving them more of a voice in the party.
Source: BBC
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