There had been hope that the Tories would announce the rules and timetable for the party’s leadership contest before the week was out. Then, next week, would-be candidates could seek the required number of nominations to stand and spend the summer recess wooing members as they pleased ahead of knockout rounds in September when parliament returns. However, it has not come to pass. Instead, as things stand, the Tory party can’t agree on a timetable – which doesn’t bode too well for the next task of uniting behind a new leader.
Tory MPs in the ‘go now’ camp worry that a long contest means the party will not be able to provide meaningful opposition on Rachel Reeves’s first Budget
On Thursday, the Conservative party board met for a meeting which stretched to around five hours. Earlier in the week, the 1922 committee had met. Ultimately this is a decision that needs to be made by these MPs.
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