James Cleverly and Kevin Hollinrake Expected to Enter Tory Leadership Race

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly and Little-Known MP Kevin Hollinrake to Throw Hats in the Ring

Former Home Secretary James Cleverly is anticipated to announce his bid to run for Tory leader later this week, while Kevin Hollinrake, a lesser-known Tory MP who campaigned on the Post Office Horizon scandal, is also expected to join the race.

Starting Gun to Be Fired on Race to Replace Rishi Sunak

Conservative Party leaders are set to kickstart the competition to replace Rishi Sunak this week, with a total of eight Tory MPs poised to enter the race. The winner is projected to be declared towards the end of the year, as only 121 Conservative MPs remain after the recent election.

Unity Candidate and Defense Spending at Heart of Cleverly's Campaign

Allies of James Cleverly indicate that he is likely to run for Tory leader, positioning himself as the unity candidate with experience in significant state offices. His campaign is expected to focus on a pledge to allocate 3% of GDP to defense spending. In a surprising turn of events, Kevin Hollinrake is also expected to throw his hat in the ring, despite never having served in the Cabinet.

Other Contenders Joining the Fray

Shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, Priti Patel, Robert Jenrick, and Victoria Atkins are also among the names expected to run for Tory leader. Tory shadow cabinet minister mentioned, "They are all on manoeuvres. I am suddenly getting lots of invites for a coffee and a chat."