Priti Patel is the least popular potential new Tory leader in a private survey of party members, with some complaining that she is ‘too short’ to win a contest.
With Rishi Sunak expected to resign if he loses the election, Conservative strategists have already started polling members about their preferred candidates among MPs likely to survive Thursday.
Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch, who sits on the Right of the party, is the most popular, followed by former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, Home Secretary James Cleverly and security minister Tom Tugendhat.
Ms Patel, the former home secretary who is expected to hang on to her Witham seat, comes last among members, who vote on the final two candidates chosen by MPs.
Last night her allies claimed it was because she had a ‘presence’ problem. One friend said: ‘I just wish she was taller.’
Britain’s former Home Secretary Priti Patel, pictured, at the ‘Great British Growth Rally’ last year
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pictured speaking to veterans on Armed Forces Day today
Another source said: ‘I’ve been at events with her where you can’t a see her over the crowd, and her voice doesn’t carry enough.’
The first question facing would-be Tory leaders is: who’s left?
This applies to members as much as MPs – disgruntled Tories have been leaving the party ‘in droves’, many angry with Mr Sunak’s handling of immigration, sources said. One insider said: ‘You might have a situation where many members on the Right of the party have quit and what’s left is the centrists – which would affect who gets through the leadership race.’
Increasingly there is talk of two leadership contests – one for someone to oversee the election fallout and civil war in the party, a second for a leader to rebuild and take the Conservatives forward.
Ms Patel, the former home secretary who is expected to hang on to her Witham seat, comes last among members, who vote on the final two candidates chosen by MPs
An ally of Mrs Badenoch said his advice would be for her to wait until the next leadership round, explaining: ‘There is too much of a focus on going for it straight away – Liz [Truss] felt she had to go for it, Rishi did too. You need to take your time.
‘Last time in opposition we went through William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard before we got to David Cameron.’
The source added: ‘It needs to be a James Cleverly or a Priti Patel first.’
While Mrs Badenoch is the frontrunner – partly because so few of her rivals may be left – some warned she ‘does not have the right temperament’ to be opposition leader. ‘It is a thankless job and she would hate it,’ one said.