Jenrick wins first round of voting to be next Tory leader as Patel eliminated
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Robert Jenrick came out on top in the initial round of voting in the competition to become the next Conservative leader, while Dame Priti Patel was removed from the running.
The ex-immigration minister received 28 votes, surpassing the top choice Kemi Badenoch, who came in second with support from 22 Conservative Members of Parliament.
The remaining possible choices are Tom Tugendhat, who used to work in security, James Cleverly, who was previously in charge of home affairs, and Mel Stride.
Next week, the group will be reduced to only four members.
The upcoming Conservative party conference in the following month will be focused on the competition, where MPs will then select the candidates to move forward to the final round.
The last candidates will be chosen by Tory members, and the winner is anticipated to be revealed on 2 November.
Beforehand, Sir Keir Starmer referred to Ms. Badenoch as the frontrunner in the Conservative leadership contest during PMQs, and she was the favorite according to bookmakers.
However, it was Mr. Jenrick who received the highest number of votes from Tory MPs, despite previously causing controversy by suggesting that individuals shouting "Allahu Akbar" on the streets of London should be detained immediately.
In the election, Mr. Jenrick received 28 votes, Ms. Badenoch received 22 votes, James Cleverly received 21 votes, Tom Tugendhat received 17 votes, Mel Stride received 16 votes, and Dame Priti received 14 votes.
Ms. Badenoch, who serves as the shadow communities secretary, stated that the outcome indicated significant backing for her campaign.
She said on X that we need to address difficult truths now, instead of facing larger issues later.
"I am excited to advocate for change across the nation, alongside my coworkers and fellow members."
Mr. Cleverly said that things are going well for him and that he is happy to have made it to the next stage. He also mentioned that he is prepared to take charge and come out victorious in the upcoming General Election.
Mr Tugendhat expressed his gratitude for advancing to the next stage of the leadership competition. He is prepared to serve, guide, and take action in order to improve the state of Britain.
Last December, Mr. Sunak's administration faced turmoil when Mr. Jenrick resigned following the Prime Minister's failure to satisfy Conservative hardliners with his urgent Rwanda law.
In a harshly-worded resignation letter, Mr. Jenrick informed Mr. Sunak that he didn't think the new bill would give them the highest chance of success in launching flights to Rwanda.
The strict leader emphasized his desire to avoid following the rules of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). He disclosed that he had been advocating for a very strong bill that would prioritize national interests over disputed explanations of international law.
In answer, Mr Sunak called his resignation "unfortunate", but informed Mr Jenrick in a letter that he was concerned it was due to a "misunderstanding of the situation".
At the beginning of the week, he reaffirmed his commitment to withdrawing from the ECHR.
The ex-home office minister, who has become the main contender for the conservative right, criticized his opponents' accusations that he was seeking simplistic solutions by stating he would advocate for leaving the agreement.
He mentioned that changing the ECHR would require many years, and if the voters allowed the Tories to address immigration once more and they failed, they would not have another opportunity.
Mr. Cleverly, who was in charge of the Rwanda deportation laws, claimed that it was not the European Court of Human Rights that stopped flights to Rwanda, but the highest court in the UK.
In reaction to the vote, a representative from the Labour Party stated that the Tories had effectively reduced the number of candidates from six individuals who had contributed to 14 years of disorder and deterioration, to five individuals who had also contributed to the same period of chaos and decline.
Based on what we've observed, none of them are willing to learn from past mistakes.
