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Former business secretary Kemi Badenoch and ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick will go head to head in the final of the Tory leadership contest, after James Cleverly was knocked out in a surprise result on Wednesday.
A moderate Tory, Cleverly had been increasingly viewed as the frontrunner in recent days, having gained momentum during last week’s party conference and secured the most votes on Tuesday.
His departure leaves two rightwing contenders in the run-off, a result that could help the party fend off the threat on its right flank from Reform UK.
The decision will now be put to the party’s estimated 175,000 members in an online ballot, with the result due to be declared on November 2.
The Tory leadership contest comes after Rishi Sunak presided over the party’s worst-ever defeat at the general election in July, when the Conservatives slumped from 365 MPs to just 121 MPs.
Badenoch topped the fourth ballot of MPs on 42 votes, an increase of 12 votes on the previous round, followed by Jenrick on 41 votes, up 10 votes. Cleverly, a former home and foreign secretary, registered 37 votes, two fewer than on Tuesday.
Some Tory MPs said they believed that the surge in votes for Badenoch and Jenrick — and the decline in support for Cleverly — suggest tactical voting strategies that backfired.
They argued some Cleverly backers voted tactically for candidates they preferred to face him in the final, wrongly assuming the former home secretary would still secure enough votes to reach that round.
Cleverly’s campaign denied having been involved in any vote lending.
Other Tories speculated that backers of Badenoch or Jenrick might have voted tactically for Cleverly in the third-round ballot on Tuesday, in the hope of their preferred candidate facing him in the run-off.
All but one MP — party chair Richard Fuller — voted in the final parliamentary ballot on Wednesday.
Cleverly’s exit marked a sharp reversal in fortune after his odds surged following an upbeat, gaffe-free performance at the party’s annual gathering in Birmingham.
He became the fourth candidate to exit the race after former home secretary Dame Priti Patel, then ex-pensions secretary Mel Stride, and ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat were all knocked out.
Labour party chair Ellie Reeves said: “After months of gaffes, wild unfunded policies and infighting, Tory members now have the unenviable task of choosing between two of the architects of Tory failure.”
The campaigns behind Badenoch and Jenrick must now each donate £150,000 to Conservative campaign headquarters for the final phase of the race, following a mandatory payment of £50,000 to the central party from each of the last four contenders.
The steep cash demand has been controversial, sparking a backlash among some campaign insiders.
Each candidate is allowed to spend an additional £400,000 on their campaign.