Robert Jenrick, a former immigration minister, has taken the lead in the Conservative leadership contest after securing 33 votes from Tory MPs. Increased support was also seen for Kemi Badenoch, who came in second with 28 votes. Tom Tugendhat gained four more votes to bring his tally to 21, while James Cleverly received 21 votes as well but remained at the same level as the previous round. Mel Stride, shadow work and pensions secretary, received the fewest votes at 16 and was knocked out of the running.
Following the party’s conference next month, further voting by MPs will take place to select the final two leadership candidates. Conservative members will then have the final say in determining the new leader who will replace former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel was eliminated after the first round of voting last week. Stride, as a loyal ally of Sunak, frequently defended his decisions during television interviews. He emphasized his ability to restore the credibility of the Conservative Party after its historic defeat in the general election and position it as a champion of Conservative values.
The final four candidates have already made speeches setting out their visions for the party’s future. The next opportunity for them to impress the Tory faithful will be at the party conference at the end of September. Each candidate will give speeches and interviews at the conference, with hustings and multiple votes to follow in October. The Conservative Party members will select the final two candidates, with the result of the leadership contest announced on November 2nd.
The Labour Party has criticized the Tory leadership development as consisting of candidates who played key roles in the decline of the party over a 14-year period. A spokesperson for Labour stated that the failure to take responsibility for the problems that had arisen demonstrated that none of these candidates were suitable
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