JAMES CLEVERLY HAS surged into the lead in the Conservative leadership contest in the UK, while Tom Tugendhat has been eliminated.
The third round of voting by Tory MPs in the race to replace outgoing party leader and former British prime minister Rishi Sunak took place today.
Tugendhat, the shadow security minister, secured the support of just 20 of his fellow MPs while former UK home secretary Cleverly received 39 votes after what had been seen as a strong performance at last week’s party conference.
Former front-runner Robert Jenrick fell to second place with 31 votes, one ahead of Kemi Badenoch.
Today’s vote saw Cleverly pick up 18 supporters, likely to include all or most of the 16 who backed former cabinet minister Mel Stride in the second round.
I’m grateful to all my colleagues for their support today, and I’m pleased to be through to the next round.
— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) October 8, 2024
The job’s not finished.
I’m excited to keep spreading our positive Conservative message. pic.twitter.com/578Gj993Qc
Stride endorsed the former home secretary last night, saying he was the “standout candidate”.
In a post on social media after the vote, Cleverly said he was “grateful” to his colleagues for their support and “pleased to be through to the next round”.
He added: “The job’s not finished. I’m excited to keep spreading our positive Conservative message.”
Jenrick, the former immigration minister, saw his support fall by two votes, while Badenoch increased her total by two and Tugendhat saw his support fall by one.
Both Jenrick and Badenoch are seen as battling for the support of the right of the Tory party as they attempt to make the final two, with Cleverly now likely to make the final round as the “One Nation” wing’s candidate.
A spokesperson for Badenoch’s campaign said the party’s right wing “needs to coalesce around Kemi” given the fall in Jenrick’s support, adding the former business secretary “can reach across and unify the party, has the star quality to cut through in opposition, and is indisputably the members’ choice for leader”.
Polling suggests the Conservative membership favours Badenoch over Jenrick and Cleverly, but that the gap has narrowed since the Conservative Party conference.
Jenrick’s campaign said he was “in prime position to make the final two”.
A source said: “MPs want seriousness and competence. That’s why he’s won support from across the party so far – from Danny Kruger on the right to Vicky Atkins on the left.”
To everyone who backed our campaign - thank you!
— Tom Tugendhat (@TomTugendhat) October 8, 2024
Your energy, your ideas and your support have shown a vision of what our party could become.
Our campaign has ended but our commitment to our country continues. pic.twitter.com/fZqw0opDi1
Tugendhat thanked his supporters in a post on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Your energy, your ideas and your support have shown a vision of what our party could become.
“Out campaign has ended but our commitment to our country continues.”
MPs will hold a further ballot on Wednesday to decide the final two candidates, who will then go forward to a vote by Conservative Party members.
The winner of that vote will be announced on 2 November.
With reporting from Press Association
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