The Reform UK leader has forecast who will be in the final two of the Tory leadership race after tomorrow’s vote-off.
Nigel Farage predicts final two Tory leadership contenders
Nigel Farage has issued a shock prediction ahead of tomorrow’s final three vote-off for the Tory leadership, forecasting that James Cleverly will stitch it up in his favour.
Speaking on his nightly GB News show, the Reform UK leader commended Mr Cleverly’s speech at the Conservative Party Conference last week, suggesting that is the reason he leapt into first place today.
Looking ahead to tomorrow’s vote in which three will become two, he issued a prediction that Mr Cleverly will now use his commanding lead to ensure his preferred opponent in the membership ballot.
Mr Farage predicted: “The next round of voting is tomorrow, so who makes the final two? Well Cleverly clearly makes the last two and you would expect him to get many of the Tugendhat votes.”
“So who makes it through between Jenrick on 31 and Badenoch on 30?”
Mr Farage predicted a stitch-up in tomorrow’s vote (Image: GB News)
“Here is my guess: The Cleverly camp and the Conservative establishment will lend a few votes to Kemi Badenoch because they don’t want Jenrick, because Jenrick wants to do things like leave the ECHR and that would never do!”
While Mr Farage’s prediction may hint that he is most worried about Robert Jenrick winning the contest and squeezing Reform UK’s vote, he also criticised the former immigration minister’s speech at Tory party conference, accusing him of lacking charisma.
He observed: “The big disappointment for those on the centre right of the Conservative Party was the performance of Jenrick.”
“If you go out and speak without notes and wander around the stage you have to have the charisma to back it up and frankly I don’t think that Jenrick had that.”
Tom Tugendhat was eliminated in today’s ballot after receiving just 20 votes.
The final two will be decided tomorrow by Tory MPs (Image: Getty)
Following his commanding win The Express asked James Cleverly to rule out plans to lend his votes to another candidate in order to fix the final two.
While he didn’t issue a categorical no, he said his message to MPs is to just back him if they believe he is the right man for the job.
He warned them to not attempt a game of “4-D chess” and overcomplicate the process.
Following the vote, Mr Jenrick’s campaign remains buoyant, despite losing two MPs.
A campaign source said: “Robert is now in prime position to make the final two. 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.”
Meanwhile a source from Ms Badenoch’s camp told journalists: “There are three candidates left in this contest, two are gaining votes and one is going backwards and losing support.”
“The right of the Conservative Party now needs to coalesce around Kemi, who can reach across and unify the party, has the star quality to cut through in opposition, and is indisputably the members’ choice for leader.”
