Who is Mel Stride? Tory MP enters leadership race
Mel Stride is the fourth Conservative MP to enter the race to become the party’s next leader.
The MP for Central Devon said on Friday morning he had gained enough parliamentary support to run as a candidate in the leadership contest.
Mr Stride told BBC Breakfast: “I’m fully nominated. I was nominated yesterday morning and my candidacy has gone forward.”
He added: “What we know from the general election is that we’re in a very, very difficult place as a party, and I worry about that because I care about my party and I care about my country.
“We have substantially lost the trust of the British people and we’ve lost our reputation for competence, and I believe that I’m in a very good position to address those issues going forward. In terms of trust, I think [the party] needs somebody who is going to be able to unite the party.
The contest formally begins next week and will run until November.
Three other MPs have announce their bid to run to be Tory leader: shadow home secretary James Cleverly, the shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat and the former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
It is thought Kemi Badenoch, the shadow secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, and Priti Patel, the former home secretary, could also be entering the contest.
What else do we know about Mel Stride?
Who is Mel Stride?
The former MP for Central Devon was president of the Oxford Union while at university before setting up his own business specialising in trade exhibitions.
He joined Parliament in 2010, winning over 50 per cent of the vote in his constituency, after being added to David Cameron’s A-List of candidates.
Which jobs has he held in parliament?
He has held a series of parliamentary roles, being made PPS to Skills Minister John Hayes in 2012.
Mr Stride later moved to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, working on the Energy Bill, before another promotion to become minister of state in the Cabinet Office.
After serving as the prime minister’s senior parliamentary adviser, he was promoted again to the Government Whips’ Office.
Until the general election he was work and pensions secretary.
