He made his ambitions clear in an interview with a Sunday newspaper following an emotive speech last week in Parliament in which he said the ongoing Afghanistan debacle ‘damn well feels like’ defeat.
The former soldier triggered messages of praise from across the political spectrum after he recalled his own experiences in that country.
He was among several MPs to criticise US President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump for their decision to withdraw US forces from Afghanistan.
Mr Tugendhat’s phone was said to be buzzing with congratulations from Tory colleagues, which prompted a Mail on Sunday journalist, during a follow up interview, to ask him if he wanted to be Prime Minister.
“Of course that means I want leadership positions, because that’s how you bring about change”
He replied: “The point of politics is you try to do your best for your country and the people we serve. I’m determined that this is about putting our people and our country first.
“Of course I want to try to shape decisions. Of course that means I want leadership positions, because that’s how you bring about change.”
The newspaper said that in plain English that was a ‘yes’ to the question about becoming Prime Minister.
The Tonbridge and Malling MP had addressed a hushed Commons after it was recalled last Wednesday (August 18), saying he had struggled through ‘anger, grief and rage’ in watching the Taliban take control of Afghanistan.
He said it was with ‘great sadness’ that he had to criticise the US after President Biden had called into question the bravery of Afghan soldiers as the Taliban rapidly took over the country.
“To see their Commander in Chief [President Biden] call into question the courage of men I fought with, to claim that they ran, is shameful.
“Those who have not fought for the colours they fly should be careful about criticising those who have,” he said.
He recalled his time as an adviser to the Governor of Helmand and the ‘joy’ given to families by the opening of schools for girls, before leaving MPs with a second, ‘harder’ image, which he explained: “It is the image of a man whose name I never knew, carrying a child who had died hours earlier, carrying this child into our fire base and begging for help. There was nothing we could do. It was over.
“This is what defeat looks like when you no longer have the choice of how to help.
“This doesn’t need to be defeat, but at the moment it damn well feels like it.”
Wealden MP Nusrat Ghani also spoke last week, telling the Commons of the women she had worked with in Afghanistan while in the country for the BBC World Service.
“I am now receiving phone calls and they are telling me it is game over,” she said.
Tunbridge Wells MP Greg Clark was not selected to speak.
