Politics conservatives Kemi Badenoch Robert jenrick
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are the final two in the Tory leadership foot-shooting contest – 44 top reactions
After a long campaign, the Conservatives have whittled the leadership possibles down to a final two, and it’s arguably the furthest right pair that the party has ever offered up for the top spot.
The final two candidates for the Conservative Party Leadership contest have been confirmed as @KemiBadenoch and @RobertJenrick pic.twitter.com/GfaSLE9TBC
— Conservatives (@Conservatives) October 9, 2024
The bad news is that it wipes out any hope of a strong and sensible opposition to the government. The good news, however, is that it’s Christmas come early for satirists. Every cloud …
The most hilarious result in the Tory leadership contest today would be if Cleverly went out, Jenrick and Badenoch through to the final two. I don't see how it's possible, but with this Tory party, I wouldn't totally dismiss the idea.
— Nick Tyrone (@NicholasTyrone) October 9, 2024
It would appear that tactical voting was to blame for overturning James Cleverly‘s comfortable lead from the previous day
Audible gasps in room at result – James Cleverly was 18 points ahead y'day.
I've spoken to Tory MPs today who were voting for their preferred *second* candidate in final two – all were working on basis Cleverly was safe.
"The most sophisticated electorate in the world"
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) October 9, 2024
The options now being put to the wider Conservative membership are –
Jenrick, who ordered murals to be painted over at an asylum seekers’ detention centre for unaccompanied minors, wants the UK to leave the ECHR, resigned because the Rwanda Plan didn’t go far enough, and recently announced that woke culture is threatening ‘English identity’.
Badenoch, who referred to the Tory government as left wing, said ten per cent of civil servants should be in prison, mocked gay marriage, hacked Harriet Harman’s website, and described the legislation that allows maternity pay as ‘excessive’.
Henry Morris simplified things.
They're between a cock and a head case. https://t.co/Ekb15dHcdF
— HENRY MORRIS (@mrhenrymorris) October 9, 2024
Here’s what else people have been saying.
1.
It’s an odd choice to go for two objectively unlikable leadership candidates…
But you do you, Tory party membership. https://t.co/gsiEqXqKEx
— Marina Purkiss (@MarinaPurkiss) October 9, 2024
2.
Thanks for guaranteeing me 10 years in office!
— Keir Starmer (Parody) (@10ClowningStrt) October 9, 2024
3.
Whether Badenoch or Jenrick, the next Conservative leader will be whipping up a culture war and demonising migrants.
This is who is waiting in the wings to take over if Labour fails.
We must stand up to their divisive politics and deliver the change we promised – fast.
— Nadia Whittome MP (@NadiaWhittomeMP) October 9, 2024
4.
I’m not sure there was ever a way back to reality-based politics for the Tory party after Brexit, but there definitely isn’t now.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) October 9, 2024
5.
Tories managing to fuck up their own leadership contest really shows why they were SO easy to beat in July. Sure, Reform splitting the right's vote helped a bunch, but honestly, state of em these days.
— Sooz Kempner is going on tour! L I N K I N B I O (@SoozUK) October 9, 2024
6.
It seems incredible for those of us with a low opinion of this iteration of the Conservative party, that they are even dumber than we assume.
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) October 9, 2024
7.
James Cleverly's cunning plan. pic.twitter.com/KX1Ex0iata
— The Jase (@jasemonkey) October 9, 2024
8.
I have every faith that the Conservative Party Membership learnt their lesson with Truss and will vote for the more moderate candidate this time round.
— Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) October 9, 2024
9.
too busy incredulously laughing at the result of the leadership contest to actually file about the leadership contest
— Marie Le Conte (@youngvulgarian) October 9, 2024
10.
I'm very impressed that the Conservatives have managed to lose an election which only had Conservatives running in it.
— Hugo Rifkind (@hugorifkind) October 9, 2024
11.
Not so much the heirs to Thatcher, more to Iain Duncan Smith https://t.co/z9StHU2qnW
— Larry the Cat (@Number10cat) October 9, 2024
12.
What a gift to His Majesty’s Government. Truly spectacular own goal for the Conservative Party.
— Stephanie Hayden (@flyinglawyer73) October 9, 2024
13.
Ah, so the Tory leadership has boiled down to Nasty & Nastier.
— charlie higson (@monstroso) October 9, 2024
14.
I’d like to congratulate @EdwardJDavey on becoming Leader of the Opposition 2029-2034 https://t.co/EBw9RVQND5
— Oliver Jones-Lyons (@ojoneslyons) October 9, 2024
15.
So to summarise Conservative MPs have just knocked out the only candidate left in their leadership race that Labour were in any way worried about
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) October 9, 2024
16.
Wow, it’s a full-scale far-right Tory party now.
— Prof Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) October 9, 2024
17.
so the good news for the Tories is that James Cleverly won’t be their leader
the bad news is that it will be someone even worse
— dave ❄️ (@mrdavemacleod) October 9, 2024
18.
Keir Starmer is going to have to register this as a gift https://t.co/Ng7fPiYTD0
— Matt Leys (@mattleys) October 9, 2024
19.
Party’s over https://t.co/uoUdUO3soG
— Dom Joly (@domjoly) October 9, 2024
20.
Good to see that the Conservative Party are putting behind them the lunacy of Truss, the knee-jerk shifts to the right, the dog-whistle culture wars and populist clap-trap, and making a fresh start with… Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick.
— Parody Keir Starmer (@Parody_PM) October 9, 2024
21.
Cleverly out!
The Tories saw someone give the best conference speech by a long way and went 'fuck that'.
— Geoff Norcott (@GeoffNorcott) October 9, 2024
22.
James Cleverley pic.twitter.com/Kbr7mbZSvp
— Mhairi Hunter (@MhairiHunter) October 9, 2024