Tory tipped to lead party after Rishi Sunak describes party as ‘centrist’

A Tory tipped to run in his party’s leadership election has labelled the Conservatives “centrist”.

Robert Jenrick and Dame Priti Patel made their first speeches of the 59th Parliament following the King’s Speech on Wednesday, ahead of a leadership contest in their party which will be formally triggered when Rishi Sunak stands aside.

Both former Cabinet ministers are contenders to head up their party, according to various sources, but neither has declared they will run in the race.

After a defeat at the ballot box earlier this month, ex-prime minister Mr Sunak announced he would “step down as party leader, not immediately, but once the formal arrangements” are in place for a leadership battle.

Former immigration minister Mr Jenrick reflected on his time in Whitehall as he told the Commons: “I have been honest, painfully honest, about the failings of the last government on this topic – but I worry that the same or worse mistakes are about to be made again.

“What we’re seeing in the Channel is a national security emergency. We’re seeing tens of thousands of people about whom we know next to nothing crossing into our country, breaking into our country in flagrant abuse of our laws. Some of them are subjects of interest being followed by our security services.

“This has got to stop and scrapping the only known credible deterrent with nothing else to put in its place is going to surrender to the people-smuggling gangs. That’s wrong, it’s a mistake, and I worry that we are going to rue the day that we did that.”

Mr Jenrick added, to laughter: “If we centrist parties on the left and the right do nothing about this – if we do nothing about this – then you will see the rise of far-right parties in this country, and I think that would be a great mistake.”

The MP for Newark in Nottinghamshire also criticised Labour’s net zero policies, among them a “2030 clean power mission”, accusing the new Government of pursuing them for “ideological reasons”.

Mr Jenrick claimed the proposals would leave the UK “in hock to Chinese technology, where we’re trading dependence on Russian hydrocarbons for Chinese electric vehicles, smart meters and solar panels that will spoil our countryside”.

But from the opposite benches, Labour MP for Preston Sir Mark Hendrick hit back, claiming “the Conservatives have squandered our advantage in clean energy and left the country dangerously exposed to international energy markets manipulated by dictators like (Russian president) Vladimir Putin”.

Dame Priti defended her party’s years in government.

She told the Commons: “Much was advanced over the last 14 years and we’re proud of our record and the transformation that we led, including of public finances.

“These are big things that don’t just happen over a few months and weeks, we’re proud we transformed the public finances from the government borrowing £1 in every £4 to a much better fiscal position today. It’s not easy to get into these fiscal positions and I think the benches opposite should just reflect in terms of the fiscal position they’re now inheriting.”

The MP for Witham in Essex also claimed Labour’s policies “differ little” from infrastructure already in place, including a UK Border Security Command.

The commander would draw together the work of security, intelligence, prosecutors and law enforcement, ministers have confirmed.

Dame Priti challenged the Government on its plan to build more homes, which could entail new rules to “unlock more sites for development”.

She said it was important to ensure “local views and the views of our constituents are simply not disregarded”.

The i newspaper has published an opinion piece which brands Mr Jenrick “the dark horse of the Tory leadership race”.

In a Conservative Home survey of 995 Tory Party members last week, Mr Jenrick polled at 13% – in second place alongside shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat, ahead of Suella Braverman (10%) and James Cleverly (9%).

Shadow housing, communities and local government secretary Kemi Badenoch polled first at 26%, with Dame Priti – who The Telegraph reported “will stand” on Monday – in sixth with 3%.