Tory leadership: frontrunner James Cleverly voted out in dramatic fashion

The former Home Secretary, who surged into the lead after a popular conference speech, was eliminated ahead of the membership vote. That means that the two right-wing candidates Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are battling each other to become the next Conservative leader.

There was an audible gasp in committee room 14 in Parliament, as Bob Blackman, the 1922 Committee chair, revealed Mr Cleverly was knocked out. Ms Badenoch won 42 votes and Mr Jenrick 41 votes, to Mr Cleverly’s 37 votes in the latest ballot, with 120 Tory MPs having taken part.

The final round of the contest will now see Conservative Party members across the UK vote to select the successor to Mr Sunak. The latest result has upset many predictions in Westminster and beyond, as Mr Cleverly was seen as the bookmakers’ favourite to win the contest after Tuesday’s round of voting.

Allies of Mr Cleverly suggested there was at no point any coordinated vote lending from their campaign to other candidates. Such a move could be used to ensure a more threatening leadership rival were eliminated.

After the vote came in, Mr Cleverly thanked his supporters on X, formerly Twitter. “I’m grateful for the support I’ve received on this campaign from colleagues, party members and the public,” he said.

Mr Cleverly added: “Sadly it wasn’t to be. We are all Conservatives, and it’s important the Conservative Party unites to take on this catastrophic Labour Government.” Both Mr Jenrick and Ms Badenoch are seen as on the right of the party, while Mr Cleverly and Mr Tugendhat, who was eliminated on Monday, were seen as more centre-ground candidates.

Both courted controversy at the Conservative Party Conference, with Ms Badenoch, the former Women and Equalities Minister appearing to say maternity pay was “excessive”. Speaking to Times Radio, the Shadow Communities Secretary described statutory maternity pay as “a function of tax”, and said: “Tax comes from people who are working – we’re taking from one group of people and giving to another. This, in my view, is excessive.”

She later wrote on social media: “Contrary to what some have said, I clearly said the burden of regulation on businesses had gone too far… of course I believe in maternity pay!” While Mr Jenrick came under fire for claiming UK special forces are “killing rather than capturing terrorists”.

The Immigration Minister suggested in a campaign video during Tory conference that the British military is taking lethal action because of fears that European human rights laws would free any detained assailants.

Despite criticism, he doubled down on his comments, saying: “I don’t want our human rights apparatus to be standing in the way of taking the right operational decisions for our national security and for protecting the lives of the brave men and women who serve in our special forces.”

Ellie Reeves, Labour Party chairwoman, said: “Both Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick are central figures in 14 years of hapless leadership and decline, and have already proven they’ve learned nothing from the mistakes that took the Conservative Party to its worst defeat in modern history.

“While the endless bickering continues, Labour is fixing the foundations and sorting out the mess that these two deeply unimpressive figures left behind.”