James Cleverly has topped the latest MPs’ vote in the Conservative leadership contest, making him the new favourite, as Tom Tugendhat became the latest candidate to be eliminated.
Tugendhat finished fourth in the third round of MPs’ voting, a result that had been expected. Cleverly will face Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch in a fourth round of voting by MPs on Thursday, with the final two going to a Tory membership ballot.
Tuesday’s result, announced by Bob Blackman, the chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservatives, showed Cleverly winning 39 of the 120 votes. In the previous round he had been joint fourth on 21.
In contrast, Robert Jenrick, who was top in the previous round on 33 votes, received two fewer this time. Kemi Badenoch got 30, up from 29, with Tugendhat lagging well behind on 20, one fewer than last time.
The vote followed a Conservative conference at which Cleverly, the shadow home secretary, was widely seen as having performed best, with Badenoch in particular doing less well.
Cleverly now seems a certainty to reach the final two, especially as some of Tugendhat’s more centrist Tory followers would be expected to move to him, with Badenoch and Jenrick battling it out for the second spot.
The result of the members’ ballot will be announced on 2 November.
