Tom Tugendhat promises reset with public as Tory rivals vie for leadership

Tom Tugendhat has promised a return of honesty to politics as his Tory leadership rival Robert Jenrick defended his desire for the UK to ditch a key human rights treaty.

Mr Tugendhat, one of the six Tory MPs vying to be Rishi Sunak’s successor as Conservative leader, will formally launch his campaign in a central London event on Tuesday with a promise to reset the party’s relationship with the public.

Former immigration minister Mr Jenrick meanwhile faced criticism for placing his desire to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) at the heart of his campaign, with rivals questioning the move.

The race for the Tory leadership has begun to heat up as MPs return to Westminster after the summer recess, after James Cleverly and Kemi Badenoch launched their campaigns on Monday.

Former ministers Mel Stride and Dame Priti Patel are also running for the leadership, though Mr Stride is yet to hold a launch event.

In his speech, Mr Tugendhat will insist that only under his stewardship can the Conservatives win back the trust of the public after “recent games” at Westminster which have plagued the party.

The senior Tory is expected to emphasise the importance of public service, telling the audience: “My pledge, as leader, is to return to the honest state, the responsible state.

“I will set out the agenda for government to win back the trust and confidence in the future because I know that this country has the greatest building blocks for future success.”

He will add: “That’s why I am standing not just to lead the Conservative Party. I am standing to be the prime minister of the United Kingdom.”

The Tory MP for Tonbridge will also seek to reset the Conservatives’ image with the British public, saying: “Politics matters to people’s lives. That’s why I was so angry at the recent games… We need a government that will serve, lead and act.

“That’s why I am standing before you today. Because this country can change. We must change.”

Mr Tugendhat is expected to touch on the importance of standing up to hostile foreign states such as Russia and Iran, as he restates his commitment to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP.

Candidates have been urged not to attack one another during the contest, to avoid the public division on display in the 2022 leadership contest which resulted in the head-to-head between Liz Truss and Mr Sunak.

But Mr Jenrick has faced veiled criticism from his rivals over his position on the ECHR, which he has blamed for blocking efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and deport foreign offenders.

Mrs Badenoch and Mr Cleverly both spoke unfavourably of the plans, suggesting Mr Jenrick was offering “easy answers” or “soundbites and quick fixes” which would not deliver results.

Mr Jenrick hit back, telling reporters: “On illegal migration… if you come here illegally, you’re detained, you’re removed within days either back to Albania or to a safe third country like Rwanda, whatever is available in the years ahead.

“To do that, I have come to the conclusion that we have to leave the European Convention on Human Rights. I don’t believe it’s reformable.”

He also claimed that the promise of a binding cap on legal migration is necessary to help win back votes from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

Mrs Badenoch, widely tipped as the bookmakers’ favourite, at her launch event claimed Labour is only in Government because people no longer believed in the Conservatives.

She said the previous government’s mistake was that it “talked right but governed left, sounding like Conservatives but acting like Labour”.