Former foreign and home secretary loses out in shock result in final round of MPs’ voting
Conservative members now have to choose between Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian
Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch are the final two candidates to become Conservative leader after James Cleverly was eliminated in the last round of voting among Tory MPs in a stunning turnaround of fortune.
Cleverly had topped the third round of voting, but came third in the one on Wednesday, losing two MPs’ votes to reach a total of 37. Badenoch came first, going from 30 votes on Tuesday to 42. Jenrick moved from 31 supporters to 41.
The choice will now be made in a ballot of Conservative party members, with the result announced on 2 November.
It means the next opposition leader will be firmly on the right of party, with the main differences between Jenrick and Badenoch ones of emphasis. Jenrick has pushed policies around migration, while Badenoch has focused more on culture war issues and institutional reform.
