How the Conservative leadership race will progress NOW after Mel Stride becomes latest Tory leader hopeful to be ousted
Mel Stride was eliminated from the Conservative leadership race last night as Robert Jenrick topped the second round of voting by MPs.
Mel Stride was eliminated from the Conservative leadership race last night as Robert Jenrick topped the second round of voting by MPs.
The partys work and pensions spokesman came last in the second ballot of the contest with 16 votes, while Mr Jenrick picked up 33.
Housing spokesman Kemi Badenoch won the support of 28 MPs. Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly and security spokesman Tom Tugendhat were tied with 21 votes each.
Mr Cleverly had come third in the first ballot. The final four candidates will address the Tories annual conference in Birmingham next month in a beauty pageant.
While the exact shape of this is still being thrashed out, the conference will centre on the four candidates with at least three on-stage events.
Conservative Party pensions spokesman Mel Stride came last in the second ballot of the contest with 16 votes was eliminated from the leadership race last night
Robert Jenrick topped the second round of voting by MPs after picking up 33 votes
There is likely to be a behind closed doors meeting for the contestants to make their case to members, an in conversation event with each, and a Q&A session with the audience.
The four will then get to make their pitch on the conference stage with a speech lasting anything between 20 and 30 minutes, possibly longer.
After coming top, former immigration minister Mr Jenrick told Sky News: Im incredibly grateful to all of the colleagues from all wings of the Conservative Party who have supported me.
And the message that I have put across so far in this campaign is change. Changing the Conservative Party to restore the publics trust and confidence in us and begin the process of getting back into contention.
Im incredibly grateful that people have listened to that, responded to that and are supporting it.
Housing spokesman Kemi Badenoch won the support of 28 MPs
Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly got 21 votes
Security spokesman Tom Tugendhat tied with Mr Cleverly and also got 21 votes
Asked if he was now guaranteed to be in the final two, he said: I think we have a clear path to the final two, but theres still a mountain to climb.
In response to claims by supporters of Mrs Badenoch about a dirty tricks campaign, Mr Jenrick said: Were just concentrating on persuading our colleagues here in Parliament, members in the country and the general public of the argument that Im making about the future of our party and our country.
A spokesman for Mrs Badenoch said: Kemi has the momentum. Shes putting on votes from across the party, has more Shadow Cabinet backers than the other candidates combined, and the independent polling shows she is overwhelmingly the choice of the party membership.
Mr Cleverly has been boasting of new supporters, picking up endorsements from Greg Smith and Alec Shelbrooke, who backed former home secretary Dame Priti Patel until she was eliminated in the first round of voting.
Last night, former prime minister Liz Truss said her partys decision not to invite Nigel Farage into the fold allowed Labour to secure a landslide majority at the election.
Mr Stride received 16 votes from MPs and was kicked out of the contest today
Mr Cleverly heaped praise on Mr Stride as candidates wrestled for his backers
Ms Badenoch said she was grateful to be in the top two as the Tory leadership race continues
Some Tories on the right of party favoured the Reform UK leader joining their ranks to quell its electoral rise before the election.
Mr Farage never ruled out the idea but said it was not on his agenda at the time.
Im a Conservative, I believe in the Conservative Party, Ms Truss told an UnHerd event.
I said I wanted Nigel Farage to join the Conservative Party. I think that would have been a better move prior to the last election. Because what weve had is a split on the Right, which has allowed the Labour Party to get a much bigger mandate than they should have had.
