Tory leadership contenders have turned their attention to Robert Jenrick following his controversial remarks regarding UK special forces. As the Conservative Party conference continues, both Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly have echoed criticisms from Labour and military figures regarding Jenrick's statements. In a recent video, Jenrick, who is currently the frontrunner in the leadership race, claimed that UK special forces are opting to "kill rather than capture" terrorists due to concerns that European laws might release any detained individuals. This assertion has drawn significant backlash, with critics arguing that it reflects a serious misunderstanding of military operations and the laws governing armed conflict. One critic stated, "I think what he said is wrong, and I’m afraid it demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of military operations and the law of armed conflict." Another expressed concern that such comments could discourage individuals from surrendering to British forces when required. Jenrick's remarks have sparked a debate about the implications of current legal frameworks on military actions, with some suggesting that the inability to detain suspects across borders forces special forces into lethal actions more frequently than necessary. As the leadership race heats up, Jenrick's comments may have serious repercussions for his campaign.

Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat, two candidates in the Tory leadership race, have urged the Conservative Party to shorten the ongoing leadership contest. The current schedule has the contest concluding on November 2, which would mean that Rishi Sunak would have to respond to the budget just days before potentially stepping down. Despite their calls for a quicker resolution, rival candidate Kemi Badenoch has expressed opposition to this idea. Reports indicate that senior members of the Conservative Party have been discussing the possibility of moving the announcement date forward by a week. However, the party confirmed on Sunday that there are no plans to alter the timeline, despite the requests from some candidates.