Tom Tugendhat joins contest for leading figure of Conservative Party's nomination

Tom Tugendhat has expressed his readiness to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights should he succeed in obtaining the position of Conservative party leader, following Rishi Sunak's departure.

The former security minister – now entering the leadership race alongside James Cleverly, a former home secretary – appears to be appealing towards traditional supporters within his political faction.

Although he is often associated with centrist ideals and has previously cautioned against dissociating from the ECHR, previous instances reveal that party members typically support candidates holding more conservative views.

Tugendhat highlighted in October potential ramifications of departing from the convention on various agreements including Good Friday Agreement and Windsor Framework, as well as impacts on devolved regions.

“There are numerous international treaties; if you desire to exit one, kindly elucidate how you'll manage resulting voids,” he asserted at that time. “These issues warrant thorough consideration and should not be dismissively mentioned without providing satisfactory answers.”

In a Telegraph article on Wednesday night, Tugendhat indicated openness to withdrawing from the ECHR, stating in an attempt to challenge potential right-wing contenders like Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick that if governing institutions hinder effective border control, the UK would need to either relinquish these stipulations or "exempt itself from their jurisdiction."

He presented this as a pragmatic approach favored by his party's traditionalists while also touching on contentious subjects like gender identity and climate targets. The former army officer emphasized the importance of bolstering defense expenditure to 3% of GDP, among other points.

Tugendhat attributed the Conservative party's historic electoral setback to a loss in public trust due to unfulfilled promises on taxation and immigration. He argued that regaining this confidence is crucial for victory in future elections. “The reason behind our election defeat has been distilled into one element: trust. The British people have withdrawn their faith from us because we failed to deliver on the commitments made,” he wrote.

He asserted his candidacy as not solely aiming for leadership within the Conservative party but also seeking the position of prime minister, which is the ultimate objective of this election. The competition's process includes nominations closing next week, followed by a reduction to a shortlist in September and public presentations at the conference in October before members cast their votes on 2 November.

Earlier that day, Victoria Atkins, who leans towards moderate views within the party, declared her unavailability for candidacy.