Conservative Home – a news and analysis blog popular with grassroots campaigners – conducted a survey of its readers and the leading candidate to replace Boris Johnson is Ms Mordaunt. The international trade minister, who was previously in the cabinet office, received 19.6 per cent, with Kemi Badenoch, the former equalities minister, a close second on 18.7 per cent. Former chancellor Rishi Sunak, who currently has the most MPs backing him with 37, came third with 12.1%. Brexit campaigner Suella Braverman, who has pledged to withdraw Britain from the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) if she wins, came fourth with 11.5%. Secretary of State Liz Truss, who launched her bid today with a promise to cut taxes, received 10.93 per cent. It previously topped the survey when the site’s readers were polled last December. This was closely followed by ex-soldier Tom Tugendhat, who has never held ministerial office but is promising a “clean start” for the party. Jeremy Hunt, Nadhim Zahawi and Sajid Javid are the next three and their paltry totals may be a cause for concern as Conservative Home may be a useful barometer of how the party faithful feel. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, seen as a good communicator and loyal to Boris Johnson, is just ahead of Home Secretary Priti Patel who is at the bottom of the pile. The previous head of the inquiry was Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, who is a popular MP in the Tory base but decided on Saturday that he wanted to focus on the current job of “keeping this great country safe” and not stand to be leader.
