Tom Tugendhat most popular among Tory leadership candidates

Now that the adults are back in the room, there’s a Lord of the Flies-style fight for supremacy underway at CCHQ. If new polling is to be believed, and if we should stick to the literary analogy, then former security minister Tom Tugendhat is Ralph blowing the conch. New polling from Savanta shows that centre-right Tugendhat is the most popular candidate among the general public (an approval rating of -3) and 2024 Conservative voters (+21).

NEW Tom Tugendhat is the most popular Conservative leadership contender among both public (-3) & 2024 Conservative voters (+21)

The lowest scoring potential candidate of those surveyed was Priti Patel among public (-28) and Con voters (+7)

19-21 July
2,312 UK adults pic.twitter.com/gTa73ElXpr

— Savanta UK (@Savanta_UK) July 24, 2024

Meanwhile, the more Right-wing candidates are floundering at the bottom of the rankings. Former home secretary Priti Patel is really not popular with the public (-28) or Conservative voters (+7) and Suella Braverman is on -23 with the public and +8 with Tory voters. In second place is the moderate James Cleverly, followed by Kemi Badenoch in third.

According to the timeline set out by the 1922 Committee, there will be no party leader announced until early November, which means there will be no leader at the Conservative Party Conference. Is the party’s Right heading for a bruising rejection?