Robert Jenrick has taken pole position in the Conservative leadership race as he came top in the first vote of MPs – ahead of rivals Kemi Badenoch and James Cleverly.
Dame Priti Patel was the first candidate to be eliminated after she received the smallest number of votes, with Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat above her.
Mrs Badenoch, who had long been the bookmakers’ favourite and leads in polls of party members, will seek to portray herself as the most centrist candidate in a bid to overtake Mr Jenrick in future rounds of voting.
The right's coalescence around Jenrick
A source close to the candidate said: “Jenrick has more of a consolidated base on the right, which helps at this stage, but Kemi has a broader base. She is more centrist, and she has a more centrist appeal too.”
Pointing to a ConservativeHome poll which shows Mrs Badenoch beating all other candidates among Tory activists, the source added: “She is clearly the favourite with the members, and MPs will want to make sure that the members’ favourite is in the final two.”
Mr Jenrick said after the result was announced: “The Conservative Party needs to listen to the public, admit our mistakes and show the country we have changed. Only then can we begin the long road back to restoring trust with voters.”
Jenrick's appeal beyond the right
A Jenrick campaign source responded: “Robert won support from MPs from all wings of the party and that represent all regions of the country.” Mr Jenrick is backed by leading figures on the right of the party but has also attracted support from more centrist figures such as shadow ministers John Lamont and Gareth Davies.
He won the support of 28 MPs in total, with Mrs Badenoch second on 22 and Mr Cleverly coming in third with 21 votes. Mr Tugendhat attracted 17 votes, Mr Stride followed with 16 and Dame Priti trailed on 14.
The Battle for Moderates Continues
Another round of voting among MPs will take place next Tuesday, with the lowest-placed candidate being knocked out. Two more votes will follow in October, after the annual party conference, to reduce the number of contenders to two – with members voting on which one should become leader.
Mr Cleverly, the shadow Home Secretary, will attempt to win over colleagues who previously backed Dame Priti while also persuading supporters of Mr Stride and Mr Tugendhat that he is best placed to represent the moderate “one nation” wing of the party.
Patel's loss and the future of the right
After her elimination Dame Priti said: “To win back the trust of the British people we must unite around our Conservative values and show how they can offer solutions to the challenges our country faces.” A party grandee said her poor showing was “a defeat for the right” given that Suella Braverman had not stood as a candidate.
The membership's view
The latest ConservativeHome survey suggests that Mrs Badenoch is the most popular candidate among activists, with 34 per cent naming her as their first choice and Mr Jenrick second on 18 per cent.
Asked whom they would prefer in a head-to-head contest, Mrs Badenoch beat every other challenger, with a 17-point lead over Mr Jenrick. He in turn beat out all the other candidates, albeit with a smaller lead of 12 points over his nearest rival Mr Cleverly.
What's Next
This early stage of the Tory leadership contest has already seen significant shifts. Jenrick's strong showing is a sign of the right's growing influence, while the battle for the center ground remains fiercely contested. The next few weeks will reveal whether Jenrick can sustain his momentum or if the other candidates can close the gap. The fight for the leadership of the Conservative Party is far from over.
