LONDON: Britain’s past household secretary, Priti Patel, is expected to challenge the Conservative Party leadership contest to replace Rishi Sunak as Opposition Leader in the House of Commons.
The 52-year-old British Indian member of parliament, who won her chair in Witham, Essex, by a comfortable margin despite having suffered its worst fight in the public election earlier this month, is considering throwing her hat in the ring, according to UK media reports.
Sunak, 44, resigned on July 5 as a result of the Labour Party’s flood victory, and he will remain in his position as time opposition leader until the strong 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs have finalized the election results.
According to a source close to the senior Tory MP,” Priti has kept a low profile and done her best to support others. She feels colleagues also need time to digest the general election result and do n’t want posturing in the media from potential candidates,” The Daily Telegraph quoted a source as saying.
She has quietly assembled a team, according to the source, adding that she now has important MP supporters and strategy staff, including some well-known Conservative donors, as numerous colleagues from various party lines have urged her to operate over the past week.
Patel, who also served as Indian Diaspora Champion in former prime minister David Cameron’s state, swore her swear as a re-elected MP in the House of Commons on the’ Bible ‘ next year.
In a statement posted on social media, Patel said,” It is an honor to once again be elected to Parliament by the wonderful people of the Witham constituency, and it was a pleasure to bet the Oath of Allegiance to His Majesty the King.”
She said,” I will continue to stand up for our principles and get a solid and outspoken advocate for our beautiful region of Essex.”
Patel, who is the son of Gujarati-Ugandan immigrants, has previously held the positions of household minister and international development secretary in the Theresa May and Boris Johnson cabinetries. She moved to the backbenches while Rishi Sunak was in charge and frequently criticized his government’s higher tax policies. She was given a Damehood in the latter’s departure honours list.
According to reports, Patel is believed to have appointed a treasurer for her campaign and former Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ ) staff with experience from previous leadership elections as part of her management programs. Additionally, she is anticipated to have arranged with some well-known donors who have contributed funds to the celebration in the past while running for president under the leadership of Johnson and Cameron.
If she joins the fold to succeed Sunak, she is likely to face opposition from another former government ministries, including Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman, who were also Indian-origin coworkers. The current front-runner in the contest has been Kemi Badenoch, with Tom Tugendhat and another potential rivals expected to compete.
However, Bob Blackman has been appointed as the 1922 Committee’s new head, and he has stated that the group will be working on the rules for the management contest in the coming weeks.
