Mel Stride considering Tory leadership bid
EPAFormer minister Mel Stride has said he is considering whether to stand to be the next Conservative leader.
The shadow work and pensions minister, who is a close ally of Rishi Sunak, said "a number of colleagues" had approached him and suggested he should run.
Other potential leadership candidates include former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Dame Priti Patel, shadow home secretary James Cleverly, shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat and shadow communities secretary Kemi Badenoch.
No one has officially confirmed they will stand yet.
Mr Sunak has said he will step down as party leader, after the Tories suffered their worst election result in their parliamentary history, losing 251 seats.
However, he has promised to stay on until arrangements for choosing his successor are in place.
The 1922 executive committee, which represents Tory MPs, is expected to announced the process for picking a new leader this week.
Asked whether he would consider throwing his hat in the ring, Mr Stride told Times Radio: "It's something I'm considering.
"A number of colleagues have approached me and suggested that I might do that.
"We don't yet of course know what the actual rules of the process will be - and I'll want to wait to see that before I take a final decision - but it's certainly a possibility."
The Central Devon MP, who held onto his seat by just 61 votes after seeing his majority slashed, is seen as on the moderate wing of the party.
He was also prominient during the election campaign, picking up many national broadcast interviews as the Tories put forward their policies.
Over the weekend, a potential leadership rival on the right of the party, Mrs Braverman, warned the Tories risked becoming "centrist cranks".
She has urged the party to take a harder line on migration, highlighting the threat from Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party, which secured more than four million votes at the general election.
However, the Tories also lost votes to the Liberal Democrats in its traditional heartlands.
Mr Stride said the Tories needed a leader who would "unite the parliamentary party" and listen "to all wings".
Whilst many potential leadership contenders have argued there is no reason to rush the process of choosing Mr Sunak's successor, there is some disagreement over how long the contest should be allowed to run.
Some argue the new leader should be announced at party's annual conference in October, while others believe this could be an opportunity for contenders to win support.
Although a longer contest would give more time for candidates to be scrutinised it could risk distracting the party and leaving Labour without an effective opposition.