Who could be the next leader of the Conservative Party?

Rishi Sunak's tenure as the nation's leader is over.

He will leave Number 10 shortly, and despite retaining his seat as an MP, the overall electoral blow to his party is significant, with Labour securing a landslide win at the polls.

The undeniable shift away from the Conservatives prompts immediate questions about the future direction of the party.

Shortly after visiting the King to deliver his prime ministerial resignation Sunak announced he will step down as leader of the Conservatives once a successor is found.

Whoever becomes the new leader will need to deal with the existential crisis engulfing the party: How to counter Reform UK?

With Nigel Farage's party securing success in four seats in the election, some Conservatives believe they should match them by moving further to the right while others say they should occupy the centre.

The new leader will be faced with the dilemma of siding with one camp or trying to unify the two factions.

Several of the possible contenders like Grant Shapps and Penny Mourdant lost their seat during a dire night for the Conservatives.

ITV News explains who is tipped to contest the Conservative Party top spot.

Kemi Badenoch

The bookies favourite is Kemi Badenoch, who is viewed as being on the right of the party.

Badenoch, who served as business secretary, has risen rapidly through the Conservative ranks in recent years, going from a relatively unknown minister to the forefront of British politics.

In the race to replace Boris Johnson as PM in 2022, the London-born politician established herself as a real contender for leadership.

Unlike many leading Conservatives, she has held senior positions in both their cabinets highlighting her popularity between the two factions within the party.

During her time as an MP she has had several high-profile clashes with Labour politicians and leading figures of the trans community over trans rights and its impact on women's rights, which has won her fans on the right of British politics.

When asked if she would run, she did not rule out a bit but added: "We will talk about leadership things after an election".

Badenoch was re-elected during the election in her North West Essex seat with a 4.7% majority.

Priti Patel

Bookies second favourite to win is former Home Sretary Priti Patel who was one of the most influential members of the Conservative Party until the downfall of Johnson.

One of Johnson's most loyal supporters during his time as prime minister, she has kept a relatively low profile since he stepped down as PM and did not endorse anyone in the subsequent leadership election.

Prior to resigning as home secretary, she had a Cabinet position for nearly 10 years. She first entered the top of British politics following David Cameron's victory in the 2015 election.

She was a leading Eurosceptic during the Brexit campaign and is viewed as being on the right of the party.

Badenoch was responsible for some of the most controversial policies of the Johnson era including the Rwanda deportation scheme and the points-based immigration system.

She has not commented on a potential bid for leadership, but was comfortably re-elected to her Witham seat during the election with a 10.2% majority.

Suella Braverman

The controversial former home secretary was sacked by Sunak after a rift developed between them following her outspoken criticism of Pro-Palestine marches amid the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war.

Since then, she has become a critic of Sunak's approach to immigration and the Channel crossings.

Braverman also stood to be leader in 2022, but was one of the first candidates to be eliminated.

She is seen as being on the right of the party and is popular among right-wing Conservatives.

She held onto her Fareham and Waterlooville seat during the election, with a majority of 12%.

Tom Tugendhat

Another contender for the leadership in 2022 after Johnson resigned, Tugendhat has long been influential on the Tory backbenches.

He served as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee from 2017 to 2022 before running for the top job.

Known for his time in the army during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, he is seen as a more moderate Conservative towards the centre of the party.

After Truss became prime minister, he was appointed minister for state for security, a role he kept under Sunak.

When interviewed by ITV News during the campaign, he twice refused to rule out a run for the top job.

He kept his Tonbridge seat during the election with a 22.2% majority.

Robert Jenrick

Jenrick had been rising up the Conservative ranks for years following his election to Parliament in 2014 until his resignation from government in 2023.

He was a prominent backer of Johnson during his time in government and was rewarded with his first senior position in government.

Jenrick quit his role as immigration minister in December over disagreements with Sunak's handling of the Rwanda deportation policy.

He said Sunak's updates to the policy meant to limit the power of courts to interfere with deportations did not go far enough and quit.

In recent years, he has become known for taking up hardline views on immigration and the culture war and being outspoken in his stances.

He has previously not ruled out making a bid for the leadership and after holding onto his seat during the election - with a 6.7% majority - he may be considering his options.

Nigel Farage

Farage is the fifth-most likely person to lead the Conservative Party after Sunak.

He stated during the election he wanted Reform to replace the Conservatives as the main right-wing party in the UK.

With Reform's growth in popularity splitting the right-wing vote, members of both parties have been calling for some reconciliation between them.

If that were to happen, Farage would likely demand either the top job or one of the most senior roles.

Farage has previously been a member of the Conservatives before he left in 1992 to found UKIP.

Farage said during the campaign he believed the Conservatives were finished and he had no desire to join them, but with the election now over and him becoming an MP of Clacton - securing a 18.3% majority - who knows what could happen?

Have you heard our new podcast Talking Politics? Every day in the run-up to the election Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…