'I asked Tories who they're backing in the leadership race and got a surprising response'

Tories have revealed who they are backing in the leadership race as the candidates vie for support at the party conference.

The Daily Express spoke to members and politicians at the gathering in Birmingham to ask who they are supporting in the race to replace Rishi Sunak.

Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat are the four remaining contestants.

Conservative member Emily Hewertson said she was torn between shadow housing secretary Ms Badenoch and ex-immigration minister Mr Jenrick after previously backing Dame Priti Patel, who was first out.

She said: "I think there are good things about them both but there are some things that they need to work on.

"I think Kemi needs to be slightly more approachable but I also question Robert. He's saying a lot of the right things now but where was this for the last however many years."

Who do you think is the right person to lead the Tory party? Have your say in our comments section.

Ms Hewertson, who went viral after a 2019 appearance on BBC Question Time, added that the Tories should strike an electoral pact with Reform to see off the threat from Nigel Farage.

She said: "If it was up to me, I'm quite a pragmatist, I'd actually make a deal with Reform in certain seats where we'd stand down in some of the northern ones that we're never going to win and then maybe they could stand down in some of those right-wing seats they're not going to win.

"If not we're going to be stuck in this rut of a Keir Starmer government that's been a disaster."

Former Tory MP Michael Fabricant said he is leaning towards Mr Jenrick, who has emerged as the surprise frontrunner.

Mr Fabricant said: "There are a number of areas where perhaps we failed when we were in government and I think he's coming up with a number of the solutions.

"Part of it is not just to do with housing or the NHS which he's addressing but also the European Convention on Human Rights which has caused so much problems with the Rwanda programme and with terrorists who we've tried to get out of the country."

Conservative member Aaron said he was torn between Mr Cleverly and Mr Tugendhat, while Joe said he was more towards the shadow home secretary.

Tory member Adam Brown said he was behind Mr Jenrick, adding: "I think as a slightly younger candidate, as a really authentic Conservative candidate, he's the person who can bring the party together and also target the voters we lost to Reform in the last general election.

"That's what's going to take us closer to getting back into government at the next general election."

He added that Mr Jenrick, who has emerged as a standard-bearer on the right of the party, would highlight that Reform leader Mr Farage is "a bit of a dinosaur".

Former Brexit minister Lord Frost said: "I think Robert has got the best sense of the four candidates of kind of the depth of the difficulty we're in as a party and what needs to be done about it.

"We're obviously in a very difficult position, we need to recover ourselves. Robert is a man of principle, he resigned on a point of principle, he's got a sense of what needs to be done to reconnect with the electorate."

Conservative member Kathryn Cracknell said she would either back Mr Tugendhat or Mr Cleverly.

She said: "I tell you who I'm not backing is Robert Jenrick. I'd consider myself a One Nation liberal Conservative so I'm looking for a broad church approach.

"My top two would be Tugendhat and Cleverly. When Jenrick says out of the ECHR, not for me, that's the wrong direction."

In reference to Clacton MP Mr Farage, she added: "I'm looking for someone with a positive direction, pro-business, pro-economy, and a liberal approach that suits our country, not chasing after as I call him the Pied Piper of Clacton."

MPs will whittle the candidates down to two on October 10 before Tory members choose the winner on November 2.