The remaining five candidates for the Conservative leadership race are gearing up to face live TV debates.
It comes after Rishi Sunak came out on top of yesterday’s Conservative MPs ’vote, with Penny Mordaunt second and Liz Truss third.
Kemi Badenoch and Tom Tugendhat also continue to race, but Suella Braverman was eliminated.
Leadership rivals will face off in a live program on Channel 4 later, with another Sunday.
And Sky News will hold a debate on Tuesday night at 8pm, after more candidates have been eliminated through new rounds of voting in Westminster.
The last two aspirants to the leadership will appear at the end of next week and then face a summer of squabbles, with members of the Conservative Party having the opportunity to decide who should be the next prime minister.
The winner will be announced on September 5th.
Here’s a look at the results of yesterday’s vote among Conservative MPs, including how many followers each candidate had:
Image: results of the second round
Braverman supports Truss
Secretary of State Liz Truss hopes to attract additional support from the conservative right following the removal of Attorney General Suella Braverman.
And last night, Ms Truss won her endorsement, with Ms Braverman declaring she would be “the strong guardian of the promises of Brexit”.
Former Brexit minister Lord Frost also called on Badenoch to step down from the Secretary of State, calling for “unity among free traders”.
Former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who fell in the first round of voting, pledged his support to Mr Sunak.
But Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who was also sent off in the first round, has yet to set his colors on any stick.
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0:52 Conservative candidates were reduced to five
Candidates thank their followers
Reacting to receiving a majority of votes for the second time, Sunak said he was “incredibly grateful” for the support of Conservative MPs.
He tweeted, “I am ready to give everything I have at the service of our nation. Together we can restore confidence, rebuild our economy and bring the country together.”
Meanwhile, Ms Truss’s election leadership team said: “Now is the time for MPs to unite behind the candidate who will cut taxes, deliver the real economic change we need, continue to bring the benefits of Brexit and ensure that Putin lost to Ukraine. “
Ms. Mordaunt tweeted another thank-you video to her fans, saying, “Together we will make a real difference.”
And Ms Badenoch said she was “delighted that a growing number of my colleagues have faith in my vision to return to honest politics and conservative principles”.
Tugendhat insisted he would not withdraw from the contest despite dropping five votes since the first round, and tweeted, “I never turned down a challenge because the odds were against me. I don’t plan to start now.”
Image: Suella Braverman was the last to be expelled from the leadership contest
Workers call general elections
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has said general elections are needed to ensure “fundamental change”.
“I don’t think the answer to the stagnation of the last 12 years is to change the candidate or the leader of the Tory Party,” he told reporters.
The leadership contest was triggered after Boris Johnson announced his resignation last Thursday.
His announcement came after an avalanche of ministers who resigned over his handling of dishonored MP Chris Pincher, and allegations of having lied about what he knew about the former deputy chief’s misconduct.
Johnson continues at No. 10 as interim prime minister as the contest unfolds.
Labor have been pushing for the prime minister to leave immediately, trying to demand a vote of confidence in him and the government.
Instead, the government has convened a vote of confidence in itself, which has allowed it to establish the wording to make it easier for Mr Johnson’s conservative critics to vote in favor.
Sky News is hosting a live TV debate with contenders vying to be the next Conservative Party leader and therefore prime minister, and you could be in the virtual audience.
The debate will take place on Tuesday 19 July at 8pm.
If you would like to be a member of the virtual audience and have the opportunity to ask a question, please email NewsDebates@sky.uk.