Tuesday, October 1, 2024 Rishi Sunak: I'm sticking around  A good story from David Maddox, our political editor, today. Rishi Sunak has "no intention" of quitting British politics when he steps down as Conservative leader on 2 November, according to friends.    The former prime minister is said to be inspired by the example of Tony Blair to want to set up a foundation that will continue to take part in the political debate. Contrary to the common assumption, he will not be going to live in California.   "It is understood that Mr Sunak is already in the process of setting up his own operation based around his inner circle in Downing Street including former political aide and longstanding friend James Forsyth," Maddox reports.    Of course, Blair's example is ambiguous: he stood down as an MP on the day he left Downing Street, and it took him a while to find his place as an international government consultancy combined with a UK think tank.    But I think Sunak is right to stick around: he has a lot to offer.  Written by John Rentoul Quiz question Which two Conservative leadership candidates voted to Remain in the EU in 2016? Answer at the bottom of today's email Support The Independent At The Independent, nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own mind and aren't afraid to do things differently. 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SUBSCRIBE: 6 MONTHS FOR £66 £1 SUBSCRIBE: 6 MONTHS FOR £66 £1 Daily briefing Video: John Rentoul and Kate Devlin move the chess pieces She says it will be Robert Jenrick; he says it will be Kemi Badenoch Half of Tory members want to merge with Reform, poll for Liz Truss's think tank suggests Jacob Rees-Mogg has called for an electoral pact with Nigel Farage's party Boris Johnson Unleashed: No Narcissus ever stared more intently into the limpid waters of self-love Robert McCrum on a prose style that is both super-rich and awesomely cheap  What else you need to know today Jesse Norman, the MP for Hereford who should have been a more senior minister than he was, has written an elegant essay for The Independent about the kind of decent, sensible and moderate Conservatism to which the party should return Theo Bertram, director of the Social Market Foundation (I am a member of its policy advisory board), has an excellent five-tweet thread on the Tories' dangerous complacency A YouGov poll of Tory members puts Kemi Badenoch on 52 per cent in a run-off against Robert Jenrick on 48 per cent; I have an analysis of Tory leadership polling coming later that concludes there is no reason for Jenrick to be the betting favourite The Independent View Iran does not want war with Israel – but what of Benjamin Netanyahu? Politics explained Cleverly cups and Tugendhat fake tan: The Tory party conference's most popular merchandise The leadership candidates have been competing fiercely for the attention of representatives and journalists in Birmingham – by flogging branded mementoes...   Read more MOST COMMENTED Unemployed Tory ex-MP blames 'woke agenda' for being unable to find job Tomorrow inside the Birmingham bubble  Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for Big Wednesday and the final day of the Tory conference. Each of the four leadership contenders will make their pitch in a 20-minute speech to Tory representatives from 10.45am. After drawing lots, they will speak in this order: Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, giving Badenoch the perceived advantage of going last and making what will be the conference's closing speech. The warm-up act will be Richard Fuller, the party chairman, and Stuart Andrew, the opposition chief whip at 10.30am. Back in the real world, Keir Starmer will be in Brussels for talks on how to reset UK-EU relations with Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president. QUOTATION OF THE DAY "If you build a victimhood and complaint culture, then a well-paid job policing this culture becomes the goal for more and more talented people"   Kemi Badenoch, in her 22,000-word essay, Rise of the Bureaucratic Class Quiz answer: Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat The Independent proudly partners with Refuge and the National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247 Join the conversation or follow us Download the free Independent app Please do not reply directly to this email   You are currently registered to receive The Independent's View From Westminster newsletter.   To unsubscribe from The Independent's View From Westminster newsletter, or to manage your email preferences please click here.   This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH. 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