Kemi Badenoch takes on Doctor Who as Conservative leadership race heats up with return of MPs [Video]

MPs were returning to Westminster after the summer break with the six Tory candidates seeking support ahead of the first round of voting in their leadership race on Wednesday.

At her formal launch in Westminster, Ms Badenoch lashed out at Labour and called for change in the Conservative Party after its demoralising defeat by Sir Keir Starmer in July.

The shadow communities secretary, the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Rishi Sunak, said her party has to “focus on renewal” to be ready to return to power.

Reflecting on where it went wrong under previous leaders, she said: “We talked right but governed left, sounding like Conservatives but acting like Labour. Government should do fewer things, but what it does, it should do with brilliance.”

Leadership rival James Cleverly, who won the endorsement of Tory heavy-hitter Grant Shapps, used his own speech on Monday to say “we must think and act like Conservatives again”, arguing for a smaller state and that he …