Who is running for UK Conservative Party leadership?

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Conservatives have begun the process of choosing a new leader to replace former prime minister Rishi Sunak who led the party to a record defeat in a July 4 election.

Six people had received the required support to be nominated as candidates by Monday's 1330 GMT deadline, the party said.

The party's elected lawmakers will narrow that field to four candidates at a ballot on Sept. 4, with further ballots to be held on Oct. 9 and Oct. 10 to whittle it down to two. 

Those final two who will be put forward to a vote of all party members. Sunak will stay as acting leader until his successor is announced on Nov. 2.

Below are the candidates who have been nominated:

KEMI BADENOCH, 44

Badenoch was most recently minister for business and trade and minister for women and equalities. She previously held junior ministerial roles in the Treasury, education department and housing department.

Before being elected to parliament in 2017 she was a member of the London Assembly. Badenoch ran for the Conservative leadership in 2022 and was eliminated in the fourth round of voting.    

JAMES CLEVERLY, 54

Cleverly was interior minister at the point the Conservatives lost the election. He has also previously served as foreign minister, education minister, and co-chair of the Conservative Party.

He joined the British army after school and completed a business degree. 

Cleverly, who had a career in publishing before being elected to parliament in 2015, ran for the party's leadership in 2019 but was the first candidate to drop out of the race.    

ROBERT JENRICK, 42

Jenrick most recently served as immigration minister, but has also held ministerial roles in the health department, housing department and Treasury.

Before entering parliament in 2014, Jenrick was a solicitor practising corporate in London and Moscow. He also held several senior financial roles at Christie's art business.

PRITI PATEL, 52

Patel resigned as international development minister in 2017 over undisclosed meetings with Israeli officials that breached diplomatic protocol but returned to government in 2019 under then prime minister Boris Johnson as his interior minister.

She also previously held junior ministerial roles. Patel has been a member of parliament since 2010 and previously worked in public relations.  

MEL STRIDE, 62

Stride was work and pensions minister when the Conservatives lost power and is now the party's spokesperson on the topic. He was also previously a junior minister in the Treasury and chaired parliament's influential Treasury Committee.

Stride studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University before setting up his own trade exhibitions, conferences and publishing business. He has been a member of parliament since 2010.

TOM TUGENDHAT, 51

Tugendhat is a former security minister. He ran for the party's leadership in 2022 but was eliminated in the third round of voting.

Before being elected to parliament in 2015, he served on military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also worked in the Foreign Office and as the Military Assistant to the Chief of the Defence Staff.

He studied Theology at the University of Bristol and Islamic studies at Cambridge University.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Ros Russell)