In the final phase of the UK Conservative Party’s leadership race, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch are set to compete against each other. This follows the most recent vote whereby James Cleverly, the previous home secretary, was dropped out of the competition after getting the least votes. This also follows the removal of Tom Tugendhat on Tuesday’s voting round.
Both Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick received increased votes – 42 and 41 respectively – out of the 120 Tory MPs who participated in the vote. This was a more significant number compared to Mr Cleverly’s 37 votes. Now, the following stage in the competition entails members of the Conservative Party across the UK choosing who out of the two remaining candidates will succeed ex-prime minister Rishi Sunak.
The two remaining contenders, Badenoch and Jenrick, are perceived as preferred candidates of the Conservative Party’s right wing, while Cleverly was considered a middle-ground Tory. The outcome of the latest voting stage has shocked many observers, both within and outside of Westminster. This is because the betting odds favoured Cleverly after the voting on Tuesday, but the result proved the bookmakers wrong.
The official announcement concerning the winner is set to be made on 2nd November. More information is expected to come to light in due course.