Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly and Robert Jenrick have thrown their hats in the ring to replace Rishi Sunak as the race for the Tory party leader heats up.

The battle for the future of the Conservative Party officially began on Wednesday night with the opening of nominations in the contest following the Tories’ worst general election result.

Shadow home secretary Mr Cleverly on Thursday afternoon said he had submitted his nomination form, adding he was “grateful for all the support” and “looking forward to getting out and about over the next few months”.

Mr Tugendhat talked up his experience as former security minister and in the armed forces as he launched his bid, telling GB News he has a “track record of delivery” for the British people.

We know that if institutions do not serve the British people and make it harder to control our own borders, then we will have to exempt ourselves from them, or leave their jurisdiction

He said he was willing to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and denied that his change of tone on the matter was political opportunism.

“No, I’ve been very, very clear I am prepared to make any decision that will keep the British people safe,” he said.

“I am prepared to leave the ECHR, or indeed any other institution that doesn’t serve the interests of the British people.”

He said he believed he could turn around the Tories’ disastrous result to win an election as leader of the Conservative Party in five years’ time but that the party needs to “be united” and “regain the trust of the British people”.

Mr Jenrick’s campaign team said the ex-immigration minister has gathered enough support to run and that he would submit his nomination on Thursday morning.

His campaign manager Danny Kruger said: “To have any path back to government we must win back those voters we have lost, across the board but particularly to Reform. At the same time we have to bring our party together, united behind one set of coherent Conservative principles.”

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He said Mr Jenrick has the “energy, temperament and policy agenda to take on our rivals and lead us back to power in five years.”

A long and potentially divisive campaign will eventually produce a winner on November 2.

Mr Tugendhat, who is viewed as a moderate within the Conservative ranks, insisted there was little to separate him from his rivals on the right on key issues.

Writing in the Telegraph, he denied the party would be split by the contest, because on key issues including the ECHR, gender, taxes, defence and net zero all Tories shared the same “common sense” views.

“We know that if institutions do not serve the British people and make it harder to control our own borders, then we will have to exempt ourselves from them, or leave their jurisdiction,” he said.

“We know what a woman is. We all want lower taxes. We all know national security must come before Treasury spreadsheets. We all know that energy security and household bills come first.

“These are common sense Conservative positions. They are non-negotiable for me and, I would hope, for anyone else who puts themselves forward.”

The Telegraph said Mr Tugendhat wants to see reform of the ECHR and could back withdrawing from certain aspects where it is necessary, to remove illegal migrants.

Mr Jenrick has also argued for the UK to leave the ECHR, as has former home secretary Suella Braverman.

Shadow communities secretary Kemi Badenoch, the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Mr Sunak, has previously said the option of leaving the ECHR is “definitely something that needs to be on the table”.

Ms Braverman and Ms Badenoch are both expected to put themselves forward for the Tory leadership, as are former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride and ex-home secretary Dame Priti Patel.

The Conservatives were reduced to just 121 seats as Mr Sunak’s premiership ended in electoral disaster.

Former home secretary Mr Cleverly said the party’s MPs “have to get out of that habit” of “rowing amongst ourselves”, which he said gave the British people the wrong impression that they were more interested in themselves than serving the public.

He said the Conservative Party needs to “expand our base of support”, but when asked about a recent poll suggesting around half of Tory members are in favour of joining forces with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, he said the party “doesn’t do mergers”.

According to polling by Savanta carried out between July 19 and 21, Mr Tugendhat is the most popular potential contender among both the public, at minus three points, and 2024 Conservative voters, at 21 points.

Dame Priti is the least popular, at minus 28 points and seven points respectively, according to the research.

Mr Cleverly is second in the running, Savanta’s findings suggest, at minus nine points with the public and 19 points among 2024 Conservative voters.

Nominations will close at 2.30pm on Monday and contenders need a proposer, seconder and eight other backers to stand.

The parliamentary party will then narrow the field down to four, who will make their case at the Conservative Party Conference, which runs from September 29 to October 2.

The final two, picked by the parliamentary party, will then go to a vote of Conservative Party members in an online ballot that will close on October 31 with the result announced on November 2.

Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain said the likely runners and riders were “a collection of failed ministers” and “it’s like a group of arsonists asking for a new box of matches”.