How Tory leadership talent contest went down in the hall

The four contenders vying to be the next Tory leader were given 20 minutes each on the main conference stage in Birmingham to make their case.

Each of them addressed the audience of Conservative activists, laying out the ideas they hope will see them elected leader of the party.

So what did they say and how did it come over to the hundreds of Tory members, activists and media who were sitting in the hall?

Tom Tugendhat

Referring frequently to his military career, Tom Tugendhat said he knew what leadership demanded. He said the party needed to broaden its appeal to claw back Reform, Lib Dem and even Labour voters, and promised a cap on net migration of 100,000 people a year.

He said he wanted the Conservatives to show why only they could offer opportunities and freedom, rather than state control.

How it went down in the hall: Tugendhat drew the short straw by being selected to go first and he had to warm the crowd up. He didn't use a podium, and stood still on the stage. He got plenty of applause and the second longest standing ovation after running over his allotted 20 minutes – as they all did.

James Cleverly

James Cleverly urged the party to "sell the benefits of Conservatism with a smile" and to be "more normal" to win back voters who switched to Labour and other parties at the general election, as well as Conservatives who stayed at home.

The former home and foreign secretary highlighted his ministerial experience and called for a party of "free markets and freedom", while thanking the NHS for saving his wife's life after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. He also said the country needed to "build, build, build".

How it went down in the hall: The only one to use a podium, he really got the crowd going towards the end of his speech and received the longest standing ovation of the four – clocking in one minute and 10 seconds. Many members afterwards said he had given the best speech - and he hung around for longest afterwards, chatting to activists and the media.

Robert Jenrick

Robert Jenrick, who quit as Rishi Sunak's immigration minister last year, repeated his call for the UK to leave European Convention on Human Rights to "secure our borders", and promised a freeze in net migration.

He told the party "we need to be honest with ourselves - the country just doesn't trust us right now". He also said the Tories must abandon the "mad" target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

How it went down in the hall: His tough line on immigration – and attacks on Labour ministers – went down well. He roved the stage and gestured frequently, and, like the others he got a standing ovation but didn't hang around long to soak it up, heading for the wings after just 30 seconds.

Kemi Badenoch

Kemi Badenoch said the "system is broken" and warned governments "run into trouble" without a plan to fix it. She spoke of reshaping the state to reduce regulation, and get out of the way of wealth-creating businesses and entrepreneurs.

She went big on culture themes, attacking "left-wing identity politics" and said women needed the Tories to defend their rights. She also said her party had failed to promote Conservative values in government like low taxes and low migration, and pledged she would change that.

How it went down in the hall: She got the biggest cheers as she walked on to the stage and her enthusiastic supporters in the crowd loved her defence of Conservative value and criticism of identity politics. The audience seemed surprised by the abrupt ending to her speech but the cheers and applause were loud.