UK politics live: Cleverly knocked out in huge Tory leadership shock to set up Badenoch and Jenrick clash
Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick locked in final battle to replace Rishi Sunak as new leader
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In a shocking turn of events, James Cleverly has been eliminated of the Tory leadership race, leaving Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch to face a vote of the party membership.
The ex-home secretary was in a leading position to make it through the latest stage after leapfrogging former frontrunner Mr Jenrick to first place on Tuesday.
But Tory MPs decided to knock him out after Tom Tugendhat, a former security minister and favourite of the One Nation caucus of Tory MPs, also lost the race on Tuesday.
Ms Badenoch emerged as the frontrunner in the final vote, securing 42 votes from MPs and positioning herself as strong contender to succeed Rishi Sunak.
Mr Jenrick closely trailed behind with 41 votes, while Mr Cleverly’s campaign took a dramatic downturn result with just 37 votes.
The final two MPs will now face an online ballot of Tory members from 10 to 31 October, with the winner of the contest announced on 2 November.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer faced a grilling from Rishi Sunak in his first PMQs since reshuffling his Downing Street leadership team, after Sue Gray’s shock exit as his chief of staff.
Tory MP’s getting questioned by local members
One Tory MP said they were now getting messages from local members saying “what the hell are you doing?” after two candidates from the right got onto the final ballot.
The MP said: “One of two things has happened. Either a number of people lent James Cleverly their votes yesterday and rolled them back.
“Or James Cleverly’s lent votes to Robert Jenrick and over-egged it.”
But there was also the possibility of individuals backing their second favourite candidate, assuming their preferred choice was already safe.
The MP said supporters of both Mr Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch had been asking MPs suspected of backing Mr Cleverly to lend support to one of them to get them on the ballot.
The Tory source said they did not “fall for that” but “it’s possible some people may have been dumb enough”.
Conservative leadership election: fourth ballot
Liberal Democrats react to Tory leadership latest with meme
The Lib Dem’s have taken a light-hearted approach in their response to James Cleverly being knocked out of the Tory leadership post.
Responding to the news on Twitter/X, the party posted a gif of a tractor with a “Liberal Democrats winning here” sign plowing through a blue wall of hay-bales.
Labour respond to latest Tory leadership vote
Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves MP said: “After months of gaffes, wild unfunded policies and infighting, Tory members now have the unenviable task of choosing between two of the architects of Tory failure.
“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.”
Analysis: Nigel Farage has scared the Tories into abandoning the centre for the hard right
One man has shaped the result of this leadership election - and he was not even running to replace Rishi Sunak.
The decision to choose Kemi Badenoch versus Robert Jenrick for the final two is proof, if any was needed, that Nigel Farage has scared the Tory party.
The Reform UK leader, and how to deal with him, became the main question for all the candidates in this lengthy four-month election to the point of irritation.
It has often been claimed there is no more duplicitous electorate than Tory MPs in a leadership contest, and once again they have gone to type.
Last night the final remaining centrist James Cleverly was eight votes ahead of his nearest rival, and now he is out with fewer votes than he had before.
The Independent’s Political Editor David Maddox writes:
Nigel Farage has scared the Tories into abandoning the centre for the hard right
News analysis: Nigel Farage has shaped this Tory leadership contest more than any of the candidates
Iain Duncan Smith hails Kemi Badenoch victory
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has welcomed the victory of Kemi Badenoch in the final round of MPs voting.
Sir Iain, who publicly endorsed the shadow business secretary, said: “This is the result that I wanted. We will now have a proper debate and the members will now get to discuss a way back for our party which will offer an alternative to Reform.
“The coming debate will forge a narrative to give those who departed the Conservative Party a reason to come back.”
Labour: Badenoch and Jenrick ‘architects of Tory failure'
Labour Party chairwoman Ellie Reeves has not hold back in her criticism of the Conservative leadership contest, which has now narrowed to Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick.
She said: “After months of gaffes, wild unfunded policies and infighting, Tory members now have the unenviable task of choosing between two of the architects of Tory failure.
“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.”
Tory leadership race: Badenoch and Jenrick locked in close race
Lib Dems: If this were an interview process they would've put the job advert up again
The Liberal Democrats have reacted to this dramatic Tory leadership result.
Against the polls, Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick have made it to the final round of the Conservative leadership election.
Cabinet office spokesperson Sarah Olney MP said: “If this were an interview process they would’ve put the job advert up again.
“The best the Conservatives can come up with is a failed former Minister who’d vote for Donald Trump and failed former Minister who thinks maternity pay is excessive
“Whoever wins this election will be tainted by the Conservatives legacy in government for years to come.”
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