The challengers have cleared the first hurdle. So as the race to succeed Boris Johnson really gets under way, NOAH VICKERS profiles the runners and riders, asking why they might win, why they might not and what their 'scandal rating' is
Rishi Sunak
Who is he?
Ex-chancellor with a love of Instagram, famous for overseeing the economic response to the pandemic
Why he might win
Among the best known of the candidates by the general public - and for a period was the most popular politician in Britain
Why he might not?
MPs may feel he is too closely linked to the outgoing Johnson administration to help move the party forwards. Many Tories are also critical of his economic strategy and reluctance to cut taxes more quickly
Notable gaffes
While serving as chancellor, it emerged his wife, Akshata Murthy, was a non-domiciled UK resident, meaning she was not paying UK taxes on her overseas income
Local backing: North West Norfolk MP James Wild is supporting him
Scandal rating: 9/10
Odds (Bet365): 7/4
Penny Mordaunt
Who?
Royal Naval Reservist currently serving as trade minister. Best known outside Westminster for appearing on ITV's celebrity diving show Splash
Might win
Seen by many MPs as a clean break from the current government, with the ability to unite the different Conservative factions
Might not
Her credentials in the so-called ‘culture wars’ have been questioned by some in the party. In 2018, she declared “trans women are women” but in recent tweets, she caveated: “That DOES NOT mean they are biological women, like me”
Gaffes
Her leadership video had to be hastily re-edited to remove clips of convicted murderer Oscar Pistorius
Local backing: Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman and North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker support her
Scandal rating: 3/10
Odds: 2/1
Liz Truss
Who?
South West Norfolk MP and foreign secretary
Might win
Right-wingers like Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries have endorsed her, but she also has demonstrable experience in the great offices of state. She is pitching herself as a unifier
Might not
While she is popular within the party, her support among the general public is less proven
Gaffes
Her speech about pork markets at the 2014 Tory party conference was widely mocked online. Also recently criticised for using £3,000 of public money to pay for a lunch with a US trade representative at a club owned by a Tory donor
Local backing: Norwich North MP Chloe Smith is backing her
Scandal rating: 7/10
Odds: 11/4
Tom Tugendhat
Who?
Kent MP, former soldier and moderate who chairs the Commons foreign affairs select committee. Served in Iraq and Afghanistan
Might win
His campaign emphasises that he is a break from the past and will supposedly bring “seriousness and integrity” back to government. His military credentials are an asset in the party
Might not
Party critics say that as a southerner who backed Remain in the Brexit referendum he might have limited appeal in the so-called ‘Red Wall’ of seats in the north and midlands
Gaffes
Has steered clear of scandals so far - but was caught smoking on the parliamentary estate by the website Guido Fawkes
Local backing: No Norfolk MPs are known to be backing him
Scandal rating: 1/10
Odds: 16/1
Kemi Badenoch
Who?
Right-wing Essex MP who stood down as a minister the day before Johnson’s resignation
Might win
Has secured the backing of Tory heavyweight Michael Gove, who says she is “brave, principled, brilliant and kind” and is considered by many as a fresh start for the party
Might not
Elected as an MP in 2017, she may be regarded as not having enough experience - and of not reaching across to the party’s more moderate wing
Gaffes
The subject of some controversy after she admitted to “hacking” Labour MP Harriet Harman’s website in the late noughties and changing it to say positive things about the Conservatives
Local backing: No Norfolk MPs are known to be backing her
Scandal rating: 3/10
Odds: 12/1
Nadhim Zahawi
Who?
Rising star and current chancellor - who threatened to resign from the post within 36 hours of accepting it, helping to precipitate Johnson’s downfall
Might win
MPs believe he performed impressively as vaccines minister and then as education secretary. He is understood to have spent months preparing his leadership bid with allies of election guru Sir Lynton Crosby
Might not
The speed with which he turned on Johnson after accepting the job of chancellor may repel some MPs, who could see him as slippery
Gaffes
In 2013, it was revealed he had used taxpayer cash to heat his horses’ stables. Officials are also said to have raised a ‘flag’ over his tax affairs before his appointment as chancellor. He has refuted the claims and said they are 'smears' put out by his rivals
Local backing: Great Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis is backing him
Scandal rating: 8/10
Odds: 80/1
Jeremy Hunt
Who?
Enjoyed long tenure as health secretary during the Cameron and May years. Moderate. Stood against Boris Johnson for the leadership in 2019
Might win
Positioned himself as an authoritative voice during the pandemic as chair of the Commons health committee, and has held three cabinet posts
Might not
Seen by some as a relic of an earlier era. May be seen as not being supportive enough of Brexit and as having already had his chance to be leader in 2019
Gaffes
Mistakenly referred to his wife as Japanese, before quickly correcting himself to say that she is in fact Chinese
Local backing: No Norfolk MPs are known to be backing him
Scandal rating: 2/10
Odds: 80/1
Suella Braverman
Who?
Right-winger and attorney general. She was the first to announce that she would be running
Might win
Her pledge to pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights has marked her out from many rivals and appeals to many in her party
Might not
The right-wing vote will be split across several candidates, and she could struggle to come out in front of the others
Gaffes
Asked by LBC what the naughtiest thing she had ever done was, she said that she had “been known to eat a whole packet of digestive biscuits”
Local backing: No Norfolk MPs are known to be backing her
Scandal rating: 4/10
Odds: 66/1
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