Former Home Secretary Priti Patel entered the contest to lead the Conservative Party on Saturday, becoming the fifth contender in a fight to determine the direction of the Tories following their worst-ever election defeat.
Patel is focusing her bid on uniting the Conservatives after they were kicked out of government after 14 years in power and cycled through five prime ministers in that time.
"It is time to put unity before personal vendetta, country before party, and delivery before self-interest," Patel said in a statement.
She joins former Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride, former Foreign and Home Secretary James Cleverly, former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and ex-Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick in a race that will run until Nov. 2.
Leadership nominations will close mid-afternoon on Monday. Conservative Members of Parliament will then narrow the candidates by the end of September - in time for the party's annual conference - before shortlisting two for a party member vote. The new leader is set to be announced on Nov. 2.
Patel is trailing in fifth place at UK bookmakers, with odds as long as 10/1. The bookmakers' favorite to win is former Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who has yet to declare.
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