The question “Who is Rehman Chishti?” started trending on Twitter today after a little-known Tory who once stood in for Labour announced his candidacy for party leader.
Steve Bray, an anti-Brexit protester, accosted Mr. Chishti outside of Parliament this afternoon. Mr. Chishti, who represents Gillingham and Rainham in Kent, excused his low profile by adding, “I’ve been getting on with my work as a member of parliament.”
Following him off College Green, Mr. Bray, who has been living in a tent in Westminster for five years, said, “I’ve never seen you before in my life.”
“Well, you have now,” the Tory candidate for leadership said in response. Enjoy your day.”
Mr. Chisti has raised eyebrows in Westminster by becoming the 11th candidate to officially throw their hat into the ring to replace Boris Johnson – leading to a stream of mocking memes on social media.
Twitter users also mocked an image of him looking into the distance with a steely look.
Critics, including in his own party, have said that the field in the leadership battle is already too crowded. Mr Chisti does not appear to be listed with all bookies.
I’m standing to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and your prime minister, tweeted the Kent Tory who Boris Johnson had just week named as a junior Foreign Office minister. For me, it’s about aspirational conservatism, new perspectives, and a new team for a fresh beginning that will advance our wonderful nation.
Additionally, he released a low-budget campaign video on Facebook that was mocked by detractors for being shot in the windy Kent countryside.
Mr Rahman described arriving in Britain from Pakistan in 1984, aged six, unable to speak English. He has already joined the candidates in promising lower taxes – but wants to spend more on mental health services.
The video – which was interrupted by the sound of wind and cut off early – prompted hilarity on social media, with one user comparing him to road rage driver Ronnie Pickering – famous for the line ‘Do you know who I am? I’m Ronnie Pickering’.
He spent his time on the backbenches after being elected as the Tory MP for Gillingham and Rainham in 2010 until receiving a surprising promotion last week amid the instability that gripped the cabinet.
His appointment as undersecretary of state for international, Commonwealth, and development affairs resulted from this. He made the decision to submit an application to become prime minister after only two days in the workplace.
Announcing his candidacy on Twitter last night, he said: ‘For me it all started back in 1984 when I came to Gillingham. I went to Napier Primary School. I was not able to speak a single word of English. It was down to the amazing teachers that I had who instilled the values in me of courage, of determination, of self-belief, of a can-do attitude which led to me being the first person in my family to go to university to study law…’
