London: Priti Patel, an Indian-origin Member of Parliament, is set to enter the Conservative Party leadership race to succeed former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. According to media reports, the former Home Secretary has quietly assembled a campaign team and secured support from key MPs and donors.
The 52-year-old leader of Gujarati descent recently won her Witham, Essex, seat with a comfortable margin even as her party suffered its worst defeat in the general election earlier this month. She is expected to announce her intention to enter the race by the end of next week.
Sunak, 44, who announced his resignation as Tory leader on July 5, will serve as interim Opposition Leader until his successor is elected by the influential 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs.
"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 don't want posturing in the media from prospective candidates," The Daily Telegraph quoted a source close to the senior Tory MP as saying.
The Guardian said that in preparation for the leadership bid, Patel has formed a campaign team funded by Tory donors, including former advisers and Conservative campaign headquarters staff. The newspaper further said that Patel is set to compete against others like former business secretary Kemi Badenoch and former security minister Tom Tugendhat.
The Conservative Witham MP since May 2010, Patel served as Secretary of State for the Home Department from July 24, 2019 – September 6, 2022.
In November 2013, she was appointed as the first-ever UK Indian Diaspora Champion by the then-prime minister.
