The Conservative party has introduced a “yellow card” penalty system in an effort to prevent leadership candidates from attacking one another in the media.
Six candidates have cleared all the hurdles to enter the three-month race to replace Rishi Sunak, including securing 10 MPs’ endorsements and raising £200,000 for the party.
Bob Blackman, who as chair of the Conservative 1922 committee will oversee the race, said he will give a yellow card and a public dressing down to any candidate who attacks a rival.
“Constant backbiting and attacking colleagues” by Tory MPs during the last parliament was a key reason “why the party did so badly in the general election”, Mr Blackman said.
In a press conference, Mr Blackman said “if candidates indulge” in personal attacks “I will get involved obviously to warn them and if necessary, issue a public statement”.
“If a yellow card is issued and a statement made to the public and to the members, that a candidate has infringed on the rules, that will be extremely detrimental to their chances of getting elected,” he said.
He added he hoped he would not “have to do it” and the threat of a card “would be enough”.
A new sanction regime will also extend to MPs and Tory party members, Mr Blackman said.
The party’s chief whip will reprimand MPs engaging in personal attacks during the race and the party chairman will step in where ex-MPs are involved.
The six candidates taking part in the race are Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Dame Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat.
Ex-home secretary Suella Braverman, who was initially seen by many as a front runner in the race, did not enter the race after many of her key allies joined Mr Jenrick’s campaign.
Writing in the Telegraph, she said there was “no point” in her running for leader, despite securing the neccessary nominations, “when most of the [party’s] MPs disagree” with her.
Mr Sunak will remain Conservative leader until his successor is announced.
The six candidates now have the summer parliamentary recess to make their cases to fellow MPs and Conservative party members.
MPs will then begin voting to narrow down the field with a series of votes from 4 September, until four are left.
The final four will be given a chance to speak directly to Conservative members at the party’s conference between 29 September and 2 October.
Two more rounds of voting will be held by MPs the following week until there are two contenders left, with party members then choosing the winner.
The online vote will end on 31 October, with the result announced two days later on 2 November.
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