She attended a Best of British themed summer party organized by the Team Lewis Foundation in Westminster Abbey College Garden. Revelers also posed with people dressed as Peter Rabbit and Paddington Bear. But the star guest was the Conservative leadership candidate. She had reason to celebrate: her branding as the dark horse of the competition saw her come a comfortable second behind former chancellor Rishi Sunak in the race to replace Boris Johnson. As the former defense secretary moved around the guests, the high temperatures matched the high political drama. “It was full of public relations types,” said the same figure, noting a flashback to Mordaunt’s past working at the public relations firm in Hanover, before starting her career on the political frontline. But there were also business figures and many supportive MPs among past and present partners. Mordaunt came second in a vote by Conservative MPs on Wednesday, pushing Liz Truss, an early favorite, into third and hot on the heels of front-runner Sunak. It is still only the first stage of the battle – the parliamentary party contest – then the wider participation in the Tory party will follow. By Thursday morning, the sense of triumph had given way to a redoubled campaign effort ahead of a new poll, which re-enforced her second-place finish. As they plotted the next steps, the long hot summer of 2019 was on the minds of aides – the last time record temperatures clashed with a campaign for a new Tory leader. This was to be the first “normal” summer for Westminster insiders for years: with “real bloody holidays” with no Covid restrictions and leadership contests – a special campaign adviser told the Independent. Some senior officials felt happy after the relentless pressure of Partygate. A man fell out of the sprinkler system in Whitehall Gardens, but decided to embrace the cool water, offering a small smile to passers-by. But with the stakes remaining extremely high for next week, the focus remains on the race between second and third to see which two names appear on the ballot for Conservative Party members. Last time, it was a fight between Michael Gove and Jeremy Hunt. Gove lost, but his experience of the race could prove important: perhaps, said one former Tory campaign strategist, he could once again play a crucial role in driving support for an eventual winner. So far, he has campaigned effectively for the relatively unknown, Kemi Badenoch. And, as the Badenoch results showed on Thursday evening, it has exceeded the expectations of some MPs. Her tally of 49 votes means even more will depend on how votes are split again ahead of Monday afternoon’s vote. Liz Truss’ team hopes a divided right wing of the party will end up rallying around her campaign, drawing support from the Badenoch and Suella Braverman camps to take her to the key 120-vote threshold. However, it is a mathematical hill, if not mountain, to climb to get there from 64. With Braverman’s votes on 27 and Badenoch on 49, Truss – a former Remainer and long-serving minister – would need the share of the lion ( 56) by their supporters, many of whom may want a new Brexiteer. Meanwhile, Tom Tugendhat’s supporters may take refuge in either the Sunak or Mordaunt camp. Some supporters expect the biggest share to go to Mordaunt rather than Johnson’s former chancellor. Overall, the favorites for the final two remain Mordaunt and Sunak who collected 83 and 101 MP votes respectively on Thursday afternoon. Votes can, of course, decrease as well as increase. If there is a poor performance in the televised debates, Tory MPs with a slim majority who fear their chances at the next general election may switch allegiance. With champagne glasses raised for now, the outcome is still very much unknown. “There’s still too much to play for,” said one Badenoch fan.
