Contenders to lead Britain’s defeated Conservatives woo members at a key party conference

Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Members of Britain’s defeated and divided Conservative Party are gathering for their annual conference. It is dominated by the search for a new leader capable of bringing the right-of-center party back from a catastrophic election defeat. Leader Rishi Sunak quit after the July election. The four candidates remaining in the race to replace him will spend the four-day conference in Birmingham wooing party members. Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat all say they will cut immigration in a bid to see off a challenge from the right-wing party Reform U.K. But some Conservatives warn the party will lose again if it shifts too far to the right.