James Cleverly: A Surprising Upswing in the Race for Conservative Leadership

James Cleverly has significantly improved his chances in the race for the leadership of the British Conservative Party. His call for the party to be "more normal" was met with great enthusiasm by delegates in Birmingham, as the four candidates delivered their main speeches at the party conference. Robert Jenrick, who received the most votes in the first round of voting among MPs, failed to hold the audience with his heavily migration-focused approach as the candidates delivered their speeches one after another on Wednesday. Jackie Rance, a Conservative Party member from Berkshire, said, "I initially wanted to vote for Robert Jenrick, but I changed my mind. James Cleverly was honest and statesmanlike." The race to succeed Rishi Sunak was thrown wide open by the four-day event, where Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch stirred controversies, while Cleverly presented a popular performance and Tom Tugendhat remained an outsider. Cleverly, who ranked joint third in the second round of voting, received the largest standing ovation in the auditorium, marking a strong end to the event. He moved up to second place in the betting market, behind Jenrick and ahead of Badenoch. The former Foreign and Home Secretary and former party chairman Cleverly emphasized his experience and stated that it was not the right time to let an "apprentice" lead the Tories. He began with an apology to party members, saying he was "sorry on behalf of the parliamentary party – which has let you down" and warned, "We have to be better, much better." Cleverly argued that it was the Conservatives' task now to sell the party "with a smile," saying: "Let's be enthusiastic, approachable, positive, and optimistic." He also called for the party to be "more normal." Quoting former US President Ronald Reagan, Cleverly said the Tories should follow his example of cutting taxes, reducing regulations, and increasing military spending to achieve a landslide victory. He ended his speech with a nod to one of the Republicans' most famous phrases, promising that it could be "morning again in Britain." Jenrick, who led in both rounds of voting among MPs, focused heavily on migration in his speech. He promised to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and replace it in British law with a new British Bill of Rights if he came to power, vowing to "secure the borders." Unveiling a five-point plan, Jenrick stated he would reject mass immigration, focus on cheap and reliable energy, rebuild Britain, reduce the size of the state, and create a more unified country. Doubts arose, however, as to whether his initial momentum had stalled, with observers noting that he failed to hold the room. Conservative MP Jesse Norman launched a surprising attack on Jenrick's performance, calling his speech "lazy, dishonest, simplistic." Badenoch, who entered the contest as the favorite, received strong applause for a speech in which she declared she would "always fight left-wing nonsense," labeled herself as a "net-zero skeptic," and explained how she had challenged views on transgender issues. She styled herself as a teller of hard truths, stating she would deliver tough messages to her party. Her government program would start from "first principles" to untangle the legacy of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, which she believed persisted in the UK. She said she would make Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves "wriggle" and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer "sweat," adding: "We're going to have some fun." As the candidates sought support from Tory MPs ahead of next week's further rounds of voting – which will reduce the field to two candidates, with members voting in a final run-off – her campaign also unveiled former Cabinet Minister Sir David Davis as a new senior supporter following her speech. Tugendhat, largely considered an outsider, promised to bring "patriotism and purpose" back to the Conservative Party and stated he wanted to focus on delivery rather than ideology. With a strong emphasis on his military career, which he said fostered his leadership skills, he vowed: "I will serve our country, I will lead with conviction, I will act decisively." A centrist Tory who had shifted to the right in the race, he reiterated his promise to limit net migration to 100,000 per year and called for tax cuts, simpler planning rules, and a reduction of excessive regulations. He said his mission was to bring "prosperity and happiness" to the public. Many Conservative activists saw Cleverly as the big winner of this week's conference, with the prevailing view being that Jenrick's speech was a disappointment and that he lost ground. David Turner of South Shropshire said: "I thought Cleverly performed really well. Jenrick failed to hold the room." Cleverly "emerged as the strongest from the week," agreed Oliver Bramley, 23. He said Cleverly had a good presence, looked like a prime minister, and avoided "culture war" rhetoric.