Tory leadership race enters final stretch after shock result in ballot of MPs

The archetypal afloat time of campaigning for the remaining 2 Conservative enactment candidates begins, pursuing a daze effect successful the past ballot of MPs connected Wednesday.

Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick volition commencement making their transportation to Conservative Party members connected Thursday, arsenic they spell caput to caput successful the contention to win Rishi Sunak arsenic Tory leader.

James Cleverly was unexpectedly knocked retired of the contention connected Wednesday, having been the bookmakers’ favourite aft the erstwhile circular of voting.

Shadow location caput Mr Cleverly’s allies powerfully denied his supporters had been progressive successful an effort astatine co-ordinated vote-sharing to technologist a spot for himself and a less-threatening rival successful the last heat.

Similar denials came from a Jenrick run source, who suggested the 120 Tory MPs voting successful the contention had done truthful “in 120 antithetic ways, for 120 antithetic reasons”.

Tory MPs speculated determination was the anticipation of individuals backing their 2nd favourite candidate, assuming their preferred prime was already safe.

One told the PA quality agency: “One of 2 things has happened. Either a fig of radical lent James Cleverly their votes yesterday and rolled them back. Or James Cleverly’s lent votes to Robert Jenrick and over-egged it.”

Both remaining candidates present person to marque their lawsuit to Conservative members crossed the country, up of the last effect being announced connected November 2.

Mr Jenrick is expected to marque a code astir his run connected Thursday arsenic the last limb of the contention begins, and has thrown down the gauntlet to his rival to statement him connected the airwaves “any time, immoderate place, anywhere”.

The Newark MP’s presumption successful the last 2 was not truthful definite going into Wednesday, and helium was said to person spent the erstwhile nighttime calling MPs to property for their enactment aft a “moment of existent nerves” astir his spot successful the contest.

Ms Badenoch has meantime called connected Tory members to “go bold” and backmost her, arsenic she said she could unite the enactment aft 78 Tory MPs voted for different candidates successful the past ballot of the parliamentary party.