| MICHAELHOWARD | Which politician, who went on to become leader of the Conservatives, was famously asked the same question 12 times in a row by Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight? (7,6) |
| CHIEFTAIN | If he can't I could become leader of the tribe (9) |
| EXCUSED | Former leader of Conservatives was wont to be forgiven? |
| RIGHT | Shock to drop leader of the conservatives (5) |
| BADENOCH | Kemi, politician elected leader of the Conservatives in 2024 (8) |
| ATTILA | Abstainer, one left in Alcoholics Anonymous, becomes leader of invasion (6) |
| STANDARDBEARER | Usual speculator hesitantly becomes leader of a cause (8-6) |
| SHORTSTORY | Work of fiction in which politician keeps trousers on (5,5) |
| DEMOCRAT | In the US, which politician is an adversary of a Republican? (8) |
| CAMPERVAN | Vehicle in which politician and monarch visit Irish county? |
| PRESIDENT | It's printed in the South and in the East that he's to become leader |
| CHE | Opponent of the Peron regime in Argentina, he left that country in 1952 and went on to become the revolutionary of the century, ... Guevara |
| CHERYL | Which singer rose to fame as a member of Girls Aloud and went on to become the first British female solo artist to have five No 1 UK singles? (6) |
| LIAM | First name of Mr Charles, the Bake Off contestant who went on to become a presenter on Bake Off: The Professionals in 2018 (4) |
| TOM | ___ Brady NFL quarterback who suffered a major knee injury and went on to become the Comeback Player of the Year in 2009 |
| AIDE | Assistant thought the last to become leader |
| HEADSOFSTATE | Like Mount Rushmore of South Dakota, those fated to become leaders (5,2,5) |
| WALESA | Solidarity leader who went on to become President of Poland. (6) |
| MANDELA | World's most famous political prisoner for 25 years who went on to become the first black president of South Africa, Nelson ... |
| LYNDONJOHNSON | Texas senator who went on to become the 36th US president: 2 wds. |
