The remaining six candidates will face another vote on Thursday, with more expected to follow next Monday. Under the rules for the contest – set by the 1922 Commission of Supporters – MPs needed 20 supporters to be officially included in the election and more than 30 to advance to the second round. Zahawi, who became chancellor last week as Johnson sought to prop up his moribund government, won 25 votes, while Hunt, the former health and foreign secretary who lost in the run-off in the 2019 leadership election, got 18 . Sunak, the former chancellor, remained top with 88 votes, while Penny Mordaunt, the trade secretary, boosted her chances by coming second with 67 votes. Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, received 50 votes and Kemi Badenoch, who resigned as minister last week, got 40. Two candidates just crossed the line – Tom Tugendhat, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, with 37 supporters, and Suella Braverman, the attorney general who was the first person to declare her intention to run last week, with 32. The announcement will set off a new battle between Tory candidates still in the running for the backers of those who have been knocked out. Hunt and Zahawi’s public supporters were 14. From top left: Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Tom Tugendhat, Liz Truss, Kemi Badenoch and Suella Braverman – the other nominees. Composite: PR The result suggested Hunt picked up support on Tuesday night, as he needed 20 backers to get through on the first ballot, but at least two of them abandoned him when it came to Wednesday’s vote. He dismissed the “groupies and attacks” which he said may have given opponents “short-term tactical gain, but they always pay off in the long run”, adding: “The nation is watching and they are sick of our drama”. Zahawi, rocked by a series of allegations about his financial affairs, has been dubbed by his colleagues a “scandal waiting to happen”. Afterwards, Zahawi said: “Clearly my participation in the contest is now over” and that “with absolute focus, I will focus on my key role as chancellor and manager of the nation’s finances”. Neither immediately endorsed another candidate, with a rival campaign source telling the Guardian: “Don’t assume that their column of supporters will all go neatly into another camp. It’s not solitaire.” However, a Tugendhat supporter said there would be negotiations with Hunt about a possible endorsement and they hoped to win over at least half of his and Zahawi’s supporters. They stressed he would not leave the competition because the main aim was to get to the televised debates – which start on Channel 4 on Friday – so he could “do a David Cameron” and show he was the best candidate to connect with the public. . . Another MP said they had been specifically told by Hunt that his initial instinct was to support Tugendhat. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST In Thursday’s vote, there will be no minimum threshold that candidates need to stay in the race, but whoever comes in last will be eliminated. Truss urged colleagues to “rally behind” her, stressing that she would continue tax cuts, bring about “real economic change” and support Ukraine in its war with Russia, a spokesman said.
