Mel Stride knocked out of Tory leadership race - as Robert Jenrick stays in the lead

Mel Stride is the most recent candidate from the Conservative Party to be eliminated in the contest to succeed Rishi Sunak.

On Tuesday, Conservative MPs conducted their second voting session to reduce the list of candidates vying to become the leader of the party.

The former work and pensions secretary finished last, receiving support from only 16 MPs, which resulted in Mr. Stride being eliminated from the upcoming vote.

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Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick secured first place again, leading the initial round of voting with 33 votes. He was followed by former business secretary Kemi Badenoch, who received 28 votes.

James Cleverly, the former home secretary, and Tom Tugendhat, who previously served as security minister, both garnered 21 votes.

After the vote, Mr. Stride took to Twitter to express how much he appreciated the experience of campaigning for leadership. He emphasized that the core values of our party remain vibrant and resilient, and he believes that we will succeed in due time.

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The last four candidates will soon travel to Birmingham for the Conservative Party conference later this month, where they will participate in a hustings event to try to win over party supporters.

After that, the Members of Parliament will hold another vote to narrow the choices down to just two candidates. Then, the broader membership will make the final decision on who wins.

The announcement for the new leader is anticipated to take place on November 2nd.

Is there a possibility of reaching an agreement to halt the leaders?

In the most recent phase of the Conservative leadership competition, outsider Mel Stride has withdrawn.

This means there are four candidates remaining, who will undergo several more weeks of discussions, with the Tory conference being the next step in this lengthy process.

Currently, the focus is on the top two candidates - Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch - who both saw an increase in their support during Tuesday's voting, with Jenrick gaining five votes and Badenoch six.

The big question for the two at the bottom, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat, both of whom received 21 votes, is whether they can change the situation.

There's a distinct chance for the duo at the bottom to collaborate and combine their backing, making sure that one of them makes it to the last round.

They have a more centrist political stance compared to their competitors, which would provide members with a more straightforward option when they eventually have the opportunity to express their opinions.

This would, naturally, imply that one party would need to yield to the other, and as we know in politics, relinquishing power is rarely done willingly.

However, if an agreement can't be reached, it would take an extraordinary turn of events at the conference to prevent Badenoch and Jenrick from emerging as the final contenders.

In an interview with Sky News just after the vote, Mr. Jenrick expressed his deep appreciation for his supporters and those who responded to his plea for "change" within the party.

He expressed that he thinks the Conservative Party needs to vigorously protect its achievements while in power. However, we must also candidly acknowledge our errors and start working on restoring the public's confidence in us.

When it comes to major topics like the economy, healthcare, or immigration, people in our country expect us to learn from our past errors and provide effective solutions to these significant problems.

Mr. Jenrick mentioned that he now sees a "clear route" to reach the last two, but he also noted, "There is still a lot of work ahead, so we won’t assume anything."

In a post on X, Ms. Badenoch expressed her appreciation to her team, stating that she felt "thankful to be among the top two and to have received the highest number of new votes in this round."

She emphasized, "We need a leader who can effectively challenge the opposition and overcome both Labour and Reform. Above all, we require someone with conviction, determination, and the expertise to fix our flawed political system."

"I'll be demonstrating that in Birmingham later this month."

Mr. Cleverly shared on Twitter that he was "honored to have made it to the final four and thankful for the backing of my Conservative colleagues." He emphasized, "We need to bring our party together around Conservative principles and challenge Labour. The effort goes on."

In a statement, Mr. Tugendhat expressed that it was "a tremendous privilege" to advance.

"We're faced with a straightforward decision," he stated. "We can select a person who prioritizes service, demonstrates strong leadership, and follows their values, or we can continue to receive the same outcomes we've seen before."

However, a representative from Labour pointed out that the list of candidates for leadership had been reduced to four individuals who were instrumental in 14 years of turmoil and deterioration. They emphasized, “Their inability to acknowledge their part in the situation illustrates that none of these candidates are fit for the role.”

"They haven't gained any insight from their past errors, and while they keep clashing with each other, Labour is focused on addressing the challenging legacy they created."

Mr. Stride has been a close supporter of Mr. Sunak for a long time. During the general election campaign, he earned the nickname "the minister for the morning round" because he interacted with the media more often than any of his peers.

He held the position of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions during Mr. Sunak's time in office and has continued to take on a similar role from the opposition side.

The Conservative MP previously served in the Treasury, holding positions as financial secretary and paymaster general while Theresa May was Prime Minister. He later chaired the Treasury Select Committee from 2019 to 2022.

Prior to his time in the Commons, Mr. Stride founded Venture Marketing Group, which focuses on organizing trade shows and conferences.