4 months ago
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The Conservative leadership contest is under way.
Rishi Sunak officially stood down after leading the Tories to their worst performance at a general election, but is staying on as acting leader until his replacement is chosen.
That person will be the sixth Tory leader in less than eight and a half years.
Each candidate needed the support of at least 10 MPs to get on to the ballot, including a proposer and seconder. MPs could nominate only one candidate per voting round.
This is a much lower bar than during the last leadership election in 2022, when hopefuls needed the backing of 100 MPs. Mr Sunak was the only one to enter the race with that level of support, and so became the party leader.
There are currently 121 Tory MPs but those who are also whips, or sit on the executive of the backbench 1922 committee, cannot nominate a candidate.
MPs must also prove they can raise £200,000 for the party.
On 29 July, the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee announced six candidates had reached all the requirements.
Shadow health secretary Victoria Atkins ruled herself out of the race. Former home secretary Suella Braverman said she had also decided not to run for leader as "most of the MPs disagree with my diagnosis and prescription”.
A three-month campaign began when nominations closed on 29 July.
This gives the six candidates the summer parliamentary recess to make their case to fellow MPs and Conservative party members.
When Parliament returns, two rounds of voting among Conservative MPs from the 4 September will reduce the field to four leadership hopefuls.
In each round, the candidate who finishes last will be eliminated.
The final four will be given a chance to speak directly to Conservative members at the party's conference between 29 September and 2 October.
Precise details of this "beauty parade" have yet to be announced.
An intensive round of hustings and multiple votes will follow the conference from 8 October, lasting three days, until only two candidates are left.
Conservative party members will then choose which of the final two candidates they want as the new leader.
If two candidates remain at the end of these ballots of MPs, members of the Conservative Party will receive a ballot on 15 October ahead of the final vote on 31 October.
Party members will make their choice via secure online voting, though this system has previously been criticised for its susceptibility to hackers and rogue state interference.
In recent years, party members have tended to pick the more right-wing candidate of the final two. In the first of the 2022 leadership elections, Mr Sunak consistently won more support from MPs than Liz Truss during each round until party members had their say.
To be eligible to vote, party members must have been active for 90 days before the ballot closes and must have been party members when nominations opened.
The new leader of the Conservative Party will be announced on 2 November - at which point Mr Sunak will hand over the reins.
The winner will become the official leader of the opposition and the figurehead of the Conservatives' efforts to rebuild the party.
