Identifying the front-runner in the current 11-strong field to become the next Conservative leader is a difficult task. But when it comes to naming the candidate with the least hope of success, one name stands out above all others: Rehman Chishti.
It’s not unfair to say that even for the people of Gillingham and Raynham, which he has represented in Parliament since 2010, Chischi is hardly a household name and would not be on the minds of many locals if they were considering who should replace Boris Johnson .
When he entered the House of Commons aged just 31, the former barrister was named in several profiles as a new MP to watch out for, with one even calling him a potential future prime minister.
But in the years since, Chishti has remained firmly on the backbenches, rising only for a brief stint as deputy leader of the Conservative Party and a year as Boris Johnson’s special envoy for religious freedom.
It was only last week that he was finally given ministerial status, becoming a third-tier minister in the Foreign Office, as the spate of resignations that eventually forced Johnson to resign forced No 10 to accept a series of newcomers.
Born in Pakistan, Chishti grew up in Kent and, after studying law and becoming a barrister, spent a period as an adviser to Benazir Bhutto when she was Prime Minister of Pakistan. In the United Kingdom, he became a councilor and then an MP.
Despite backing Johnson to become prime minister in 2019, Chishti resigned as special envoy in 2020 over the Internal Markets Bill, which gave ministers the power to unilaterally rewrite elements of the EU’s Brexit withdrawal agreement.
Sign up for First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7am BST
His bid for prime minister, which appears to be based more on boosting his reputation than on a realistic prospect of victory, promises “ambitious conservatism, fresh ideas, a fresh team for a fresh start, taking our great country forward.”
In an extremely low-key video posted on Facebook, the MP stands in the windswept countryside where he discusses his arrival in the UK aged six in 1984, unable to speak English, and policies including lower taxes and a focus on better mental well-being.
Add Comment