What have Tory leadership candidates been up to?
The Independent|August 23, 2024
There is frenetic activity in two corners of the political forest during this normally quiet time of August.
JOHN RENTOUL
What have Tory leadership candidates been up to?

One is around the prime minister, who is not on holiday with his family thanks to riots that have now subsided and who is still finding his feet at the head of a new government.

The other is in the Conservative Party. Not in the leader’s office, as Rishi Sunak still seems to be taking a break. Or in Tory HQ, which is said to be like a “ghost town” although we journalists still receive press releases commenting on anything in the news. Perhaps they are working from home.

But the six candidates to succeed Sunak are working flat out, visiting local Tory associations and phoning MPs. The strange thing is that the race still seems to be wide open, with no clarity over who the final two candidates might be, let alone the winner.

What have the candidates said this week?

Robert Jenrick said he would be “delighted” to have Boris Johnson in his cabinet, when interviewed by The Daily Telegraph. He started the week by saying he had taken Ozempic for six weeks last year to lose weight but “didn’t particularly enjoy it”.

Denne historien er fra August 23, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra August 23, 2024-utgaven av The Independent.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA THE INDEPENDENTSe alt
Food prices could rise by a fifth as financial crisis looms
The Independent

Food prices could rise by a fifth as financial crisis looms

Fears of recession fuel calls for Reeves to cancel trip to China

time-read
5 mins  |
January 10, 2025
Draper puts health first in his bid to break the top 10
The Independent

Draper puts health first in his bid to break the top 10

Brit No 1 managing hip problem ahead of Australian Open

time-read
3 mins  |
January 09, 2025
Arteta needs a 'can opener' to cure misfiring Gunners
The Independent

Arteta needs a 'can opener' to cure misfiring Gunners

Mikel Arteta is aware that Arsenal need more “explosiveness” in attack, and his staff are looking to rectify this in the January transfer window, although much of this would have been clear to see before Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle United.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 09, 2025
Hammers seek Potter magic after Lopetegui exit farce
The Independent

Hammers seek Potter magic after Lopetegui exit farce

Farewell, Julen Lopetegui. You leave West Ham as you arrived: unwanted by fans, and even by technical director Tim Steidten, it seems.

time-read
3 mins  |
January 09, 2025
Spurs subdue Liverpool and dream of Wembley
The Independent

Spurs subdue Liverpool and dream of Wembley

It’s a bit premature to say this was a night when Tottenham Hotspur’s young team came of age, but this 1-0 victory over Liverpool was an impressive show of maturity when they most needed it. An 18-year-old Lucas Bergvall appropriately settled it, crowning the fine work of fellow teenager Archie Gray.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 09, 2025
FTSE 250 and pound slump as UK gilt yields hit a high
The Independent

FTSE 250 and pound slump as UK gilt yields hit a high

London’s stock markets faltered yesterday, with the FTSE 250 slumping to a five-month low and the pound weakening as UK long-term borrowing costs continued to spike.

time-read
1 min  |
January 09, 2025
Bodies of father and son hostages recovered in Gaza
The Independent

Bodies of father and son hostages recovered in Gaza

The bodies of two Israeli hostages have been recovered by troops in Gaza, Israel’s defence minister said yesterday.

time-read
1 min  |
January 09, 2025
French minister tells Trump Europe will protect borders
The Independent

French minister tells Trump Europe will protect borders

France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot has fiercely defended the European Union in response to US president-elect Donald Trump’s claim that America should take ownership and control of Greenland”.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 09, 2025
'I did my best to prevent it'
The Independent

'I did my best to prevent it'

Mother of 14-year-old stabbing victim Kelyan Bokassa tells Barney Davis her heart skipped’ every time her son went out

time-read
4 mins  |
January 09, 2025
Brexiteers left infuriated by PM's Foreign Office choice
The Independent

Brexiteers left infuriated by PM's Foreign Office choice

The appointment of Theresa May’s former chief negotiator with the European Union as the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office (FCDO) by Sir Keir Starmer is being seen as a statement of intent in his determination to reset relations with the EU.

time-read
2 mins  |
January 09, 2025