TORY leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick believes he is “nailed on” to be in the final two contenders.
Campaign sources also took a dig at fellow frontrunner Kemi Badenoch for going on holiday during the campaign – insisting their man was the “hard-working” candidate and “this campaign doesn’t take holidays”.
Former Immigration Minister Mr Jenrick secured a boost today as Shadow Justice Secretary Ed Argar became the latest MP to back his bid.
It comes as Ms Badenoch and ex-Home Secretary James Cleverly formally launch their campaigns ahead of the first crucial vote on Wednesday.
Shadow Welfare Secretary Mel Stride, former Home Secretary Dame Priti Patel and ex-Security Minister Tom Tugendhat are also in the running.
Tory MPs will knock out the candidates until two remain to go forward to a ballot of the wider party membership.
A Jenrick campaign source said: “In terms of where the race is right now, we are very confident as a team that we have an absolute nailed-on route to 41 votes and getting to the final two.”
“Depending on exactly who votes .. you need 40 or 41 votes. We are very confident that we have those votes and a clear path to achieving them. We’ve been working very hard with MPs.
“Our style has been to be as active as possible, to be as personal as possible, to be respectful and to listen to people’s concerns and to go and meet them in their constituencies over the course of the summer, and to try to build a broad coalition of people.”
Ms Badenoch will today brand Labour as “clueless, irresponsible and dishonest” as she sets out her Tory leadership stall.
The bookies’ favourite to replace Rishi Sunak will say the Conservatives need to “focus on renewal” to become “worthy of the British people’s trust again”.
She will say: “Labour will fail; and when that time comes, and the British people are looking for change, we have to be that change.
“We have to focus on renewal. The renewal of our party, our politics, and our thinking.”
Whereas Mr Cleverly will say Britain should become a “family-first society” not over reliant on the state.
He will say: “We accept that the state has a primary duty to protect its people and its borders. But Conservatives must be honest about the trade-offs in doing these things properly.”
AN ITALIAN runner who was born a man has become the second transgender athlete to compete in the 64-year history of the Paralympics.
Valentina Petrillo, who is 50 years old, has a visual impairment and competed in the heats of the women’s T12 400M class on Day Five of the Paris Games.
Petrillo, who does not require a guide, qualified for tonight’s semi-finals at the Stade de France with a time of 58.35 seconds as she finished behind Alejandra Paola Perez Lopez of Venezuela in heat four but ahead of China’s Shen Yaqin.
Without requiring the use of a guide runner, Petrillo qualified sixth overall and will be in contention for the podium spots at the Paras.
In 2017, the disabled star shocked her wife, the mother of their two children, when she revealed she wanted to become a transgender woman – and within two years, she was undergoing hormone therapy.
Running as a male, Petrillo won 11 Italian para-athletics titles but has started to win medals on the international stage since switching to female-only events.
In March 2023, World Athletics – the governing body of able-bodied track-and-field – took a firm stance on this controversial topic.
Officials decided to exclude male-to-female transgender athletes who had gone through male puberty from competing in international events for women.
Seb Coe, the president of the governing body, said “decisive action” was taken “to protect the female category in our sport”.
While some might feel that Petrillo has a considerable physical advantage, despite being in her sixth decade on the planet, the International Paralympic Committee refused to implement any ban, saying they do not have any “framework” of rules.
Channel 4 have a star-studded line-up of hosts and pundits for their coverage of the 2024 Paralympics
The presenting team is headed up by former Paralympian turned TV host Ade Adepitan.
Five-time Paralympic swimming champion Ellie Simmonds is making her debut with the broadcaster, alongside actress, producer and former Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis.
Veteran sports broadcaster Clare Balding also appears on-screen, as does racing-driver-turned-commentator Billy Monger and Invictus Games medallist and presenter JJ Chalmers.
The line-up also includes adventurer and former rugby union player Ed Jackson, TV and radio presenter Vick Hope, comedian Josh Pugh and sports presenter Lee McKenzie.
There’s also an experienced team who are there to commentate, including in the athletics, the wheelchair rugby and the equestrian events.
Further expert analysis comes courtesy of multi-Paralympic medallist Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson and Paralympic gold-medal sprinter Libby Clegg.
A IPC spokesperson said: “We have had one previous transgender athlete at the Paralympic Games.
“This was a Rio 2016 Paralympian who represented the Netherlands.
“Our framework is very clear. The IPC have no specific rules on transgender.
“It’s the responsibility of the international federations, which is a very similar approach to the IOC (International Olympic Committee).”
Not everybody is convinced and some want a suspension to come into force.
Germany’s Katrin Mueller-Rottgardt, who competes in the women’s long jump, said: “Basically, everyone should live in everyday life the way they feel comfortable, but I find it difficult in competitive sports.
“Petrillo has lived and trained as a man for a long time, so there is a possibility that the physical requirements are different to those of someone who was born as a woman.
“This could give an advantage.”
Petrillo said: “I’m happy as a woman and running as a woman is all I want. I couldn’t ask for more.
“I dream of a future where no one has to hear stories like mine anymore.
“For 44 years I had no tools, I thought I was the only one in the world experiencing this situation.
“I was born in Naples in the seventies, where the ‘femminielli’ were considered the ‘scum’ of society.
“I had an older relative who declared that she was trans and she was kicked out of the house by her father. I was scared and hid.
“I dream of a future in which there are no longer children, girls, teenagers, forced to hide, to be afraid, to not be able to express themselves for who they are: in the family, in society, in everyday activities.”
LOUISE Minchin has opened up about her decision to leave BBC Breakfast.
The presenter, 55, made her final appearance on the famous red sofa in September 2021.
In an episode of James Martin‘s Saturday Morning, Louise revealed: “I talked about how much I loved being on the show and loved being part of this huge BBC Breakfast family but at the end of the day, you have to get up extremely early, you know it’s relentless.
“I was permanently jet-lagged and eventually I thought, I’ve loved this, it’s been fantastic but I need to get some sleep.”
Having made her first Breakfast appearance as a guest host, Louise was made a regular anchor beginning in 2012.
Initially, she appeared alongside the likes of Charlie Stayt and the late Bill Turnbull.
From 2016 until her departure, she shared presenting duties with Dan Walker.
During her ITV Saturday Morning appearance, Louise also discussed her shift in focus to writing.
She was promoting her new book, Isolation Island – her third overall release but first foray into fiction.
Its premise follows ten celebrities participating in a reality show that goes awry, with Louise’s experience on I’m A Celebrity playing a part in the writing process.
She shared: “When I was on I’m A Celebrity, it was in a castle in Wales and you may remember that, that year we got evacuated because of a once in a lifetime-storm.
“So that planted the seed that reality TV can and does go wrong.”
It comes as Louise recently revealed the “horrific” battle to be paid the same as her male co-stars.
Speaking to Emily Dean on the Walking the Dog podcast, the presenter said she had been given numerous excuses about the matter.
However, it wasn’t until the broadcaster published its pay report in 2017 that Louise realised the full extent of the situation.
The flagship BBC show has had dozens of presenters during its impressive 40 years on air but the current stars are:
Jon Kay – Since 2022
Sally Nugent – Since 2021
Charlie Stayt – Since 2006
Naga Munchetty – Since 2014
Carol Kirkwood – Since 1997
The report detailed the salaries of every BBC employee who earned over £150,000.
Sharing how she remembered seeing the information, Louise had noted “it was pretty much all men apart from a couple of women.”
It was reported that as well as Louise, fellow Breakfast star Sally Nugent was also earning less than some of their male counterparts.
She added: “And at that point I just thought ‘oh wow, this is actually way more serious than I thought it was.”
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