Priti Patel, a prominent British-Indian Member of Parliament, is gearing up to enter the Conservative Party leadership race to succeed Rishi Sunak as the party's head. Sunak recently announced his resignation following a significant electoral defeat to the Labour Party under Keir Starmer.
Patel, 52, has been quietly laying the groundwork for her campaign, assembling a team and garnering support from key MPs and influential Conservative donors. She represents the constituency of Witham in Essex and has maintained a low profile since the election, opting to support her colleagues and allow time for reflection on the party's electoral outcome.
According to sources close to Patel cited by The Daily Telegraph, she plans to formally declare her candidacy by the end of the upcoming week. Her campaign team includes former advisors and staffers from the Conservative campaign headquarters, backed by financial support from Tory donors.
Having served as Secretary of State for the Home Department from July 2019 to September 2022, Patel has a robust political career. She first became an MP in 2010 and has since been a prominent figure within the Conservative Party.
Patel will join other contenders for the leadership role, including former business secretary Kemi Badenoch and former security minister Tom Tugendhat, as reported by The Guardian. The leadership contest will be overseen by the 1922 Committee, which is expected to finalize the rules and guidelines for the election in the coming weeks under its newly elected chair, Bob Blackman.
