Tory leadership candidates.stay the course in long race

The Conservative leadership contest continues to ramp up as the four remaining contenders make their pitches to voters and delegates at the party's 2024 conference in Birmingham.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL, JABED AHMED, ALBERT TOTH

Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat are the final candidates for the Tory top spot. Although the race was announced on 5 July, the leader will not be revealed until early November - although two candidates have called for the timeframe to be cut down.

Until then, former prime minister Rishi Sunak retains the position, and has refused to be drawn into the ongoing contest so far.

Polls have put Ms Badenoch ahead of the pack, with Mr Jenrick closing in at just four points behind up from 15 points six weeks ago. Dividing lines were drawn between the pair at conference when Ms Badenoch suggested maternity pay in the UK is "excessive".

Although the former business secretary later backtracked, Mr Jenrick took the opportunity to reaffirm his support of maternity provisions, saying he is "firmly on the side of parents and working mums".

Meanwhile, the polling puts Mr Cleverly and Mr Tugendhat as third and fourth favourites. Although a separate poll showed that Mr Cleverly was the general public's first choice, it is only Conservative party members that will be voting.

Here's your guide to the four candidates to be the next Conservative party leader:

Kemi Badenoch