Priti Patel has announced she will not be running in the Conservative leadership race, as candidates battle to gather the 20 MPs needed to get their names on the ballot paper. In a statement, the home secretary said that while she was “grateful for the encouragement and support” of colleagues, “I will not be putting my name forward for the ballot of MPs”. Patel’s backers had previously made clear she was seriously considering competing for the top job, pointing out that she was a longstanding Brexiter, and comparing her to Margaret Thatcher. But with other Brexit-backing rightwingers Suella Braverman and Liz Truss already in the race, and the former chancellor Rishi Sunak the clear frontrunner, Patel was running out of time to secure enough support. There had been suggestions Braverman and Patel may join forces, but in her statement Patel declined to endorse any other candidate. “As a lifelong and committed Conservative, I will always make the case for freedom, enterprise and opportunity and work with colleagues to deliver these values in government,” she said. “Like all Conservative MPs and party members, I will be listening to cases being put forward by the candidates standing for the leadership of the party and trust the contest will be conducted in a good spirit that brings our party together.”
Thirteen MPs had publicly declared their support for Patel, including the education minister Andrea Jenkyns and the justice minister Tom Pursglove. Their backing will now be eagerly sought by Patel’s rivals. Patel was one of six members of David Cameron’s cabinet who backed the Vote Leave camp during the 2016 Brexit referendum, alongside Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. Johnson staunchly backed her in the face of bullying allegations, urging colleagues to “former a square around the Prittster”, and prompting his ethics adviser, Alex Allan, to resign. After the list of candidates with at least 20 backers is revealed on Tuesday, Conservative MPs will begin narrowing the field rapidly down to two, with the first round of voting taking place on Wednesday. Grassroots Tory members will then make the final decision, with the result being announced on 5 September.