Ms Braverman received 27 votes from Tory MPs, five less than she got yesterday, seeing her come last in the final round of the contest. She told Sky News it was “obviously disappointing” but she was “absolutely blown away by the support” of her fellow MPs, “if not in their votes, certainly in their hearts”. The attorney general did not reveal who she would back to win, however, saying she would “consider all options.” The five remaining candidates will advance to the third round on Monday, having received the following votes: There will be successive rounds of voting by Tory MPs until only two candidates remain. Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt maintained their positions at the top of the leaderboard in first and second place respectively after the second vote.
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Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who came third, will be hoping to pick up votes from Ms Braverman’s supporters in the next round. Kemi Badenoch was fourth, with Tom Tugendhat fifth. Politics Hub: Sunak and Truss in final five as Mordaunt makes biggest gains In the first vote yesterday, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt and new chancellor Nadhim Zahawi were ruled out of the contest. Both fell short of the 30 votes needed to advance to the next round, with Mr Zahawi receiving 25 and Mr Hunt 18. The final stage is expected to be reached by the end of next week at the latest, leaving the final couple to make arrests over the summer and face a vote by the wider Tory party – with the result being announced on September 5. Image: Suella Braverman was disqualified from the match Responding to the run-off results, Mr Tugendhat’s allies insisted he would not withdraw from the Tory leadership contest, despite losing five votes from the first round. Posting on social media, Mr Tugendhat wrote: “I have never turned down a challenge because the odds were against me. I don’t intend to start now.” Reacting to getting the most votes for a second time, Mr Sunack said he was “incredibly grateful” for the support of Tory MPs. “I am ready to give everything I have in service to our nation,” he tweeted. “Together we can restore trust, rebuild our economy and bring the country back together.” Meanwhile, Mrs Truss’s leading campaign group said “now is the time for MPs to unite behind the candidate who will cut taxes, deliver the real economic change we need, continue to deliver the benefits of Brexit and ensure that Putin loses in Ukraine.” Ms Mordaunt posted another thank you video to her supporters on Twitter, saying: “Together we will make a real difference.” And Ms Badenoch said she was “delighted that a growing number of my colleagues believe in my vision for a return to honest politics and conservative principles”. But Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said a general election was needed to ensure “fundamental change”. “I don’t think the answer to the stagnation of the last 12 years is to change the candidate or the leader of the Tory party,” he told reporters. “We need much more fundamental change so whoever emerges as the new leader of the Conservative Party is not going to be able to address the fundamental failure of the last 12 years. “It’s like a team sinking into relegation, desperate to change the manager. This is not the change we need. We need a change of government, a new start for Britain, and that’s what my Labor Party can deliver.” The leadership contest began after Boris Johnson resigned last Thursday. His announcement followed an avalanche of ministerial resignations over the handling of disgraced MP Chris Pincher and accusations he had lied about what he knew about the former deputy chief whip’s misconduct. Mr Johnson remains at number 10 as caretaker prime minister for the duration of the contest. But Labor is pushing for the prime minister to step down immediately, seeking a vote of confidence in him and the government – potentially triggering a general election. Instead, the government called for a confidence vote on its own, allowing it to set the wording to make it easier for Mr Johnson’s Tory critics to vote in favour. Sky News is hosting a live televised debate with the candidates vying to be the next leader of the Conservative Party and therefore prime minister, and you could be in the virtual audience. The debate will take place on Monday 18 July hosted by Sky News presenter Kay Burley. If you would like to join the virtual audience and have the chance to ask a question, please email [email protected]
