London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Tom Tugendhat hints at future bid to be Conservative leader

Tom Tugendhat hints at future bid to be Conservative leader

Foreign affairs committee chair tells party it should drop focus on ‘divisive politics’ and says he is ambitious for himself
Tom Tugendhat has hinted that he will run to replace Boris Johnson in the next Conservative leadership election, as he warned that the party was too focused on “divisive” politics.

The Tory backbencher said his party was not like “a church, with one true faith, one Pope”, but that MPs should “offer ourselves forward for service” when another contest for the top job is held.

After 41% of Conservative MPs declared they had no confidence in Johnson’s leadership, and with the prospect of two byelection losses looming next week, Tugendhat admitted the government was facing difficulties during its midterm period.

Asked by the Guardian if he would rule out standing for leader, Tugendhat said: “No, I won’t rule it out. And I won’t rule it out because I think that we should be ambitious for ourselves, for our communities and for our country … We should offer ourselves forward, and then it’s up to colleagues and the country to choose.

“We shouldn’t be resentful about [if] the choice doesn’t go in your way. But you should offer yourself for service. That is literally the point of being in public service, is to offer yourself.”

Addressing Tory MPs at the Northern Research Group conference in Doncaster, which Johnson pulled out of at the last minute due to a visit to Ukraine, Tugendhat admitted there were “perfectly legitimate” questions about the party’s waning poll ratings.

He said the past few years had been “more trying than I think it should have been” and that the government had been “too willing” to “listen to those divisive voices”.

Tugendhat, who represents the “blue wall” seat of Tonbridge and Malling in Kent, said backbenchers could still have a “powerful voice” within the party. He added: “You can actually change policy as a backbencher in our party, you can drive the change that not only does your community need, but actually the whole country needs.”

Tugendhat, a former soldier who now chairs the Commons foreign affairs committee, which has been deeply critical of the UK’s withdrawal from Afghanistan last summer, has been touted by some as a potential leadership contender.

Johnson has vowed to fight on, and is now immune from another no-confidence vote for 12 months.

However, his opponents believe that they may be able to get the group of MPs that set the rules – known as the 1922 Committee – to halve the period of safety in an attempt to force him out.

They are hoping the privileges committee investigation into whether the prime minister misled parliament over Partygate will cause more Tory MPs to call for him to go.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×