Stride announces Conservative leadership bid

Mel Stride has confirmed he is standing in the Conservative leadership contest to replace Rishi Sunak, becoming the fourth Tory MP to enter the race.

The former work and pensions secretary says he will hold Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer "forensically" to account and believes he can unite the party to win back the public's trust.

Mr Stride said he already has the backing of the 10 MPs needed to stand after "a number of colleagues" suggested he do so.

Meanwhile, the Conservatives have told candidates they will each need to be prepared to raise £200,000 for the party to progress to the final stages of the contest, sources have told the BBC.

This is in line with six-figure sums required of candidates in previous Tory leadership races.

A party spokesperson said that with the final four appearing at the Conservative conference, which begins on 29 September, "there will be significant opportunities for them to make their pitch to the membership across the four days.

“The contribution we are asking candidates to make to CCHQ {Conservative Campaign Headquarters] reflects these opportunities.”

Mr Stride becomes the fourth person to announce their candidacy after former Home Secretary James Cleverly, ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.

He told BBC Breakfast Tory MPs knew their party was in a "tough spot".

Mr Stride argued the party needed to look "to the future" and "build trust with the electorate again".

This required party unity and becoming an effective opposition, which sometimes meant "strongly supporting" the Labour government "when we think they're doing the right thing", he added.

Mr Stride said he was "in a good position" to unite the party and rebuild its "reputation for competence".

"I am respected, I think, right across the parliamentary party. I was chair of the Treasury Select Committee, the leader of the House of Commons, all of those things are roles about bringing people together."

Mr Stride was a close ally of Mr Sunak in the last government - frequently trusted to do media interviews during the general election campaign.

In the election on 4 July, he held on to his Central Devon constituency, which he has represented since 2010, by just 61 votes, narrowly avoiding defeat by Labour.

Speaking on election night, Mr Stride said the party needed to "think long and deeply about what has happened over the last 24 hours and get ourselves back in a position where we are the natural party of government".

"But that is going to take time."

Shadow communities secretary Kemi Badenoch, the bookmakers' favourite to succeed Mr Sunak, and former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Dame Priti Patel are also expected to put themselves forward for the leadership.

Hopefuls have until Monday afternoon to collect 10 nominations from their fellow MPs.

Those that clear that bar will then have the summer to make their pitches, before MPs vote to narrow down the candidate list to four, and then two.

Party members will then vote on the final two, with the result announced on 2 November.

Mr Sunak will stay on as acting leader until his successor is chosen.