Tom Tugendhat has been eliminated.
The world’s longest leadership election entered a new stage today as Tory MPs voted in their penultimate ballot to whittle down the candidates seeking to replace Rishi Sunak as leader of the opposition.
Tom Tugendhat, widely regarded as the more moderate of the candidates, was eliminated after coming last in the latest ballot.
James Cleverly topped the ballot, closely followed by Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch.
The full results were as follows:
- James Cleverly – 39 votes
- Robert Jenrick – 31 votes
- Kemi Badenoch – 30 votes
- Tom Tugendhat – 20 votes
Cleverly picked up 18 more votes than he received in the previous round, suggesting he is picking up support from MPs who backed candidates who have already been eliminated. Badenoch picked up two more votes than the last round, with Jenrick receiving the votes of two fewer MPs than he got last time.
Tory MPs will vote in one more ballot to get the number of candidates down to just two. That ballot will take place tomorrow (Wednesday October 9).
Ordinary Tory members will then have a choice between these final two, with a ballot taking place between 10-31 October. The winner will then be announced on November 2.
Of the three remaining candidates, Cleverly is the most moderate, meaning he is likely to pick up the support of MPs who backed Tugendhat and therefore enter the final ballot.
Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward
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