Conservative Party leadership candidates call for election to be shortened

Two Conservative Party leadership candidates called for the election to be shortened so the winner can respond to Rachel Reeves’ Budget.

James Cleverly and Robert Jenrick separately told Tory party members they would be lobbying the party chairman Richard Fuller to bring the election to an early end if they make the final two next week.

Ms Reeves is due to give her first Budget as chancellor on Wednesday October 30, three days before Conservative members find out who has won the leadership election.

In it she is expected to address the £22 billion blackhole she says officials have discovered in the public finances since they took office.

Mr Cleverly said: “I think that the new leader should be given the opportunity to respond to it.”

He acknowledged that there may be some concern that some members who vote by postal ballot might not be able to get their vote submitted in time.

He added: “I have already said to the party board that I would prefer that we nibble away a couple of days from the leadership (election) … I want to get at them at the first possible opportunity.

“This Budget will define this Labour Party. If we hit them hard, where it hurts, in their economic incompetence that will be a good starting point for the new leader of the party.”

His rival Mr Jenrick criticised Conservative Campaign Headquarters (CCHQ) for its unwillingness to change the election timetable.

He told GB News presenter Christopher Hope on the main stage of the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham: “We have to be standing up and socking it to Rachel Reeves at that Budget.”

He added: “Sorry to our friends at CCHQ here, what a bad decision that the next leader of this party isn’t the one at the despatch box doing that, taking it to Rachel Reeves, standing up for our party.”

Asked whether – if he made the final two – he would demand to end the contest early, Mr Jenrick said: “100%.”

Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Mr Fuller said: “The 1922 Committee wanted a longer campaign. They wanted to have four candidates here at conference.

“And the logistics of that mean that when we whittle it down to two and it goes to the members, there’s a period of time for the members to vote, and my job is to make sure that members have enough time to get their ballot papers and return their ballot papers, and that’s why we ended up with the timeframe we have.”

Asked, “no change?”, Mr Fuller added: “No change.”