The Conservative Party will appoint its new leader on Nov. 2, the party announced on Monday.
Nominations for Rishi Sunak’s replacement will kick off on Wednesday evening and close on the afternoon of July 29.
To qualify, each candidate will require a proposer, a seconder and eight nominations.
Once all candidates have been nominated, the parliamentary party will slim down the field to four, who will each make their case at the party conference, which runs from September 29 to October 2 in Birmingham.
The final two, chosen by the parliamentary party, will then be put to the party membership in an online ballot, closing on October 31.
Two days after Halloween, the result will be revealed to the public on Nov. 2.
Bob Blackman, chairman of the 1922 Committee, said: “I am determined that our party will have a respectful and thorough leadership debate. I believe that this timetable will allow for this.
“While there are significant debates to be had about our party’s future, we must remember that the country—and our members—want to see us engaged in proper debate not personal attacks.
“I am confident that this process will allow for this.”
Potential leadership contenders that have been mooted so far include former work and pensions secretary Mel Stride, former home secretaries Suella Braverman and Dame Priti Patel, shadow home secretary James Cleverly, shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat, shadow communities secretary Kemi Badenoch and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
Mr. Sunak will stay acting leader until a successor is appointed.
He said: “It’s in the national interest for us to have a smooth and orderly transition to a new Leader of the Opposition so I will stay in post until November 2, and the result of our leadership election.
“This will allow our party to fulfil its role as the official opposition professionally and effectively. I believe this is what is best for the Conservative Party and, most importantly, our country.
“It would be inappropriate for me to make any comment about the leadership campaign or candidates. I am confident that this timetable decided by the Party Board and the 1922 Committee will allow for a thoughtful, professional and respectful contest.”
‘Blue on Blue’
On Monday, Mr. Stride confirmed he is considering entering the race for the party leadership while doing the morning media rounds.However, he refused to comment on any of his potential rivals, saying it wasn’t in the party’s interest to have any “blue on blue.”
Mr. Cleverly has also issued a similar caution to his fellow Tories, warning leadership contenders not to “divide up and factionalise” the party, as he stated that there was a “reasonable chance” he would throw his hat in the ring on Tuesday morning.
Both Mr. Stride and Mr. Cleverly’s comments come after Ms. Braverman, widely perceived as the most right-wing potential candidate, said the Conservatives must not become “a collection of fanatical, irrelevant, centrist cranks.”
Conservative Party Chairman Richard Fuller said, “Party conference will be a great opportunity for our hard-working volunteers to meet the leading candidates and make their views known to MPs before the final two candidates are put to a final vote by Party members.”
The aftermath of the General Election saw the number of Tory MPs slashed to just 121, the fewest the party has ever returned.
As a party, the Tories now face battles on two electoral fronts to regain lost ground, fending off Nigel Farage’s Reform UK from the right and the Liberal Democrats, who took many constituencies in old Conservative heartlands by campaigning from the left.
