The contest to replace former prime minister Rishi Sunak will run until Nov. 2
(Top L- R) Mel Stride, Priti Patel , Robert Jenrick. (Bottom L-R) James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch. (Photos by Carl Court/Ian Forsyth/Jeff J Mitchell/ Hollie Adams/ Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Pramod Thomas is a senior correspondent with Asian Media Group since 2020, bringing 19 years of journalism experience across business, politics, sports, communities, and international relations. His career spans both traditional and digital media platforms, with eight years specifically focused on digital journalism. This blend of experience positions him well to navigate the evolving media landscape and deliver content across various formats. He has worked with national and international media organisations, giving him a broad perspective on global news trends and reporting standards.
FIVE hopefuls were left in the race to become leader of the Tories after former home secretary Priti Patel received the fewest votes from lawmakers in a race set to shape the future direction of Britain's once dominant party.
The contest to replace former prime minister Rishi Sunak will run until Nov. 2, after Tory members cast the final ballots for a new leader, charged with turning around the fortunes of a party decimated in a July election by Labour.
Below are the main policies for the remaining five contenders:
KEMI BADENOCH
Badenoch, a 44-year-old former trade secretary, has positioned herself as an outspoken darling of not just the right-wing of the party but of younger lawmakers, promising to be "something different", a challenging voice in what she describes as a broken government system.
Criticised by some yet adored by others for her outspoken views on Brexit and on what she calls "identity politics", Badenoch used her campaign launch this week to set out her principles which she listed as personal responsibility, citizenship, equality under the law, family and truth.
In a speech, in which she drew upon her upbringing in Nigeria, she pledged to "rebuild the party, rewire the state, reboot the economy, revive our country and make it go places".
"It's time for something different. The British people are yearning for something better - and this Labour government is not it," she told an audience at her glitzy launch event.
ROBERT JENRICK
Jenrick raised his profile when he quit as an immigration minister under Sunak over what he called the "fatally flawed" Rwanda plan to send asylum seekers to the African nation. Then, he said it was not robust enough.
Jenrick, 42, has undergone a transformation from being a solid centrist of the party to moving towards the right with his strong criticism of immigration policies - a shift which has prompted some in the party to question his motives.
He says the only way to tackle rising levels of immigration is to set a cap on legal migration in the tens of thousands and to detain and remove within days to a safe third country such as Rwanda those migrants who enter the country illegally.
He also advocates for Britain to leave the European Convention of Human Rights, a treaty agreed by almost every European nation, to help tackle migration.
"The public are demanding action on this, they are aghast at what is happening in the English Channel, and if we were lucky enough to re-enter government, the public would not give us a third chance," he told journalists this week.
TOM TUGENDHAT
Former soldier Tugendhat, 51, has presented himself in the leadership campaign as a safe pair of hands, a politician who is loyal to those he serves but also relatively untainted by the scandals that have brought the Tory party low.
Announcing that his campaign would be "sober, it will earn and deserve trust", Tugendhat - seen as a moderate in the party - said this week his priorities would be reconnecting all parts of the UK, strengthening foreign policy, tackling migration and reforming public services.
He said a new Tory government would have to plan to spend 3 per cent of GDP on defence and the country needed clear immigration targets - a maximum level for net migration of 100,000 people a year.
"This is no time for a novice," he said at his launch campaign this week.
JAMES CLEVERLY
A former home and foreign secretary, Cleverly has boosted his credentials as the Tories' "best communicator", saying only he could unite the right of the party with its more moderate wing.
"I am uniquely suited to unite the party, to win at the next general election, to deliver for the British people once again," the 55-year-old former Army reserve officer told his launch event.
He has sought to use his record in the interior ministry to show he can take action on immigration, saying he would resurrect the previous Conservative government's plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.
In what he described as an "unstable world", he has also pledged to increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP.
MEL STRIDE
A moderate who was often asked to represent the last government during times of trouble, Stride, a former work and pensions secretary, has described himself as the dark horse of the contest and he confounded expectations he would be ejected from the first round of voting for the Tory leadership.
A close ally of outgoing leader Rishi Sunak, Stride, 62, has pledged to unite the "whole Tory family" and work to win back voters the party lost to the right-wing Reform Party, and those who turned to the Liberal Democrats and the Labour party.
Stride has said the Tories have "lost the trust of the British people and our reputation for competence", and pledged an overhaul of the party's organisation, to make it less centralised and more locally focused.
Users can now restrict AI-generated visuals across select categories.
Pinterest will make “AI-modified” content labels more visible.
The update aims to restore trust amid growing user backlash.
Pinterest responds to complaints over AI-generated ‘slop’
Pinterest has rolled out new controls allowing users to reduce the amount of AI-generated content in their feeds, following widespread criticism over an influx of synthetic images across the platform.
The company confirmed on Thursday that users can now personalise their experience by limiting generative imagery within specific categories such as beauty, art, fashion, and home décor. The move comes as many long-time users voiced frustration that their feeds were increasingly dominated by low-quality AI visuals, often referred to online as “AI slop.”
Pinterest, which serves as a hub for creative inspiration and shopping ideas, has faced growing scrutiny from both users and media outlets questioning whether its algorithmic changes have diluted the quality and authenticity of its content.
New personalisation settings and clearer labels
The new controls can be found under the “Refine your recommendations” section in the app’s Settings menu. Users will be able to opt for reduced exposure to AI-generated posts in certain categories, with more options expected to be added later based on feedback.
In addition, Pinterest said it will make its existing “AI-modified” labels more prominent. These labels appear on posts identified through image metadata or Pinterest’s detection systems as being partially or fully AI-generated.
The platform is also encouraging user feedback. When users encounter Pins they find less appealing due to synthetic imagery, they can use the three-dot menu to flag them and adjust their preferences accordingly.
The update has started rolling out across Pinterest’s website and Android app, with iOS support to follow in the coming weeks.
Balancing creativity with user trust
Matt Madrigal, Pinterest’s Chief Technology Officer, said the company’s focus remains on maintaining an authentic, inspiring experience for its community.
“With our new GenAI controls, we’re empowering people to personalise their Pinterest experience more than ever, striking the right balance between human creativity and innovation,” Madrigal said.
Pinterest’s move comes as research cited by the company suggests that AI-generated visuals now account for more than half of all online content. By giving users direct control over how much of that material they see, Pinterest hopes to preserve its reputation as a platform driven by genuine creativity rather than automated output.
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