Robert Jenrick has insisted that he will not backtrack on his policy positions and return the Conservative Party to the political centre ground if he becomes leader.

The former immigration minister denied a claim that he had privately told Tory MPs that he would steer the party back to the centre were he to succeed Rishi Sunak next month.

A member of the shadow cabinet told the i newspaper that Mr Jenrick had “promised me he will turn to the centre” if elected and they suspected that he had said the same to others.

Both Mr Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch, his leadership rival, are seen as being on the Right of the party, prompting some moderate Tories to express concern.

Asked if he had promised anyone that he would return to the centre, Mr Jenrick told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I haven’t said that, no.

“But let me just address the broader point that it raises because there are those who say that the Conservative Party, were I to lead it, is going to shift to the Right.

“I actually don’t see these labels as at all relevant. What I want to see is the Conservative Party occupy what I describe as the common ground of British politics. Those are the things that millions of our fellow citizens care about.”

Mr Jenrick’s leadership campaign pledges include a promise to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and cap migration at the tens of thousands or lower.

Widely regarded as a Tory centrist during his early ministerial career, his views on immigration and other issues have moved to the Right in recent years.

He resigned as immigration minister at the end of last year over Mr Sunak’s Rwanda deportation scheme, arguing that it would not go far enough to stop small boat crossings.

ECHR reform a ‘fantasy’

Mr Jenrick is the only one of the original six leadership candidates who has pledged to leave the ECHR, arguing that it is necessary to secure the nation’s borders and tackle illegal migration.

Some of the ousted candidates have advocated for trying to reform the treaty but Mr Jenrick has described such a route as a “fantasy”.

On being asked whether all of his top team would have to sign up to leaving the ECHR in order to serve, Mr Jenrick told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “Well, it would be one of the stable of Conservative policies.

“So yes, we would go into the next election with it in our manifesto.”

Mrs Badenoch has said she would leave the ECHR if it was needed for controlling migration but insisted that it is neither a “silver bullet” nor the “most radical” action that has to be taken.

Mr Jenrick insisted that James Cleverly, who was seen as the Tory leadership frontrunner until his surprise elimination on Wednesday, would be offered a role in his shadow cabinet.

“I have already said to James, who is a friend, someone I respect enormously, that I would be delighted for him to serve in the shadow cabinet should he want to do so.”

‘Party of Twitter spats’

In comments likely to be viewed as a shot across the bows of his rival, Mr Jenrick said the Conservative Party must not become a “party of Twitter spats”.

He told the BBC: “I am focusing on a whole spectrum of issues which I would argue are the most salient ones to the public.

“I don’t want us to go down rabbit holes and to be a party of Twitter spats. I want us to heal the party and focus on the big issues facing the people of this country.”

Mrs Badenoch has been vocal in responding via X, formerly Twitter, to posts and articles that she regards as unfairly critical.

It is now up to Tory members to choose between Mr Jenrick and Mrs Badenoch, with the new party leader to be announced on Nov 2.

Mr Jenrick said during his Today programme interview that he was unhappy with the timescale for the contest, which will not allow the victor to respond to the Budget on Oct 30.

But he conceded that there was no longer any prospect of it being changed by Bob Blackman, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers who is overseeing the contest.