Tom Tugendhat has become the latest candidate to be eliminated from the Conservative leadership race.
In the third round of voting by Conservative MPs, the candidates received the following votes:
- Kemi Badenoch, 58 years old
- Penny Mordaunt, 82 years old
- Rishi Sunak, 115
- Liz Truss, 71 years old
- Mr. Tugendhat, 31 years
Politics Hub: new favorite to be prime minister after the last televised debate
Image: Tom Tugendhat has been removed from the Conservative leadership career. Image: @TomTugendhat
Following the announcement, Mr. Tugendhat tweeted: “While today shouldn’t be, I’m immensely proud of the positive vision we presented for our country. Thank you to everyone who supported me and believed in #ACleanStart. This is just the beginning. !
“This evening I spoke to the 1922 Commission about the future of our country. One thing is clear: if we cannot rebuild trust, our party is doomed. Not just for now, but for a generation or more.
“To win an election we need the country behind us. Our values, our conservative values, can only be achieved in government.”
And in a video posted on the social media platform he added: “At the moment I will not talk about any candidate, I will listen to what they have to say and later I will make my judgment.”
And he thanked his campaign team and his fans.
“I’m incredibly proud of the team, I’m incredibly grateful to all the fans who have joined me in some, if not all, stages of the race where we fought for a clean start because we know that’s what the country.calling for.
“We’ve seen that in response to both debates, we’ve seen it in the commitment we’ve had from people.”
After the vote, Rishi Sunak tweeted, “I want to thank all the colleagues who have supported me tonight.
“Together we can rebuild our economy, keep Brexit safe and defeat Labor.”
Penny Mordaunt said: “My vote is steady and I am grateful to my teammates for all their support and delighted to be back in second place.
“Deputies know that I am a strong candidate, that I am running a really clean campaign and that I am proposing a positive outlook for the party and our country.”
And Kemi Badenoch tweeted: “In the next vote. Thank you to all my teammates for their support. It’s all for play.
“The momentum continues, closing the gap. I’m the only candidate for change left in the race. I’m there to win.”
Two more ballots are to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday until there are two candidates left.
They will then face a summer of campaigns and boxes before a vote by the wider party members, and the winner is expected to be announced on September 5th.
The remaining runners will not face off in a debate Sky News had scheduled for Tuesday after Sunak and Mrs. Truss refused to participate.
Conservative MPs are said to be concerned about the damage previous debates have done to the party’s image after exposing disagreements and divisions between the main candidates.
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0:45 Sir Keir Starmer criticizes candidates for withdrawing from Sky News debate.
Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was “surprised that those who want to be UK prime ministers love each other from debates and scrutiny”.
Exchanges between candidates have been intense during the two televised debates that have taken place, with disputes centered on their tax plans.
While Sunak, the former chancellor, has insisted that now is not the time to reduce the tax burden, others have said they would take immediate action.
In Sunday’s ITV leadership debate, Sunak accused Ms. Truss of collaborating with the economy “for nothing” after saying she would “attack growth” by raising taxes to their highest level in 70 years.
There were other furious exchanges between Mrs Mordaunt and Mrs Badenoch during the Channel 4 debate on Friday on the issue of self-identification of trans people.
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2:32 The contenders struggled to address the cost of living and their experiences in government.
The contest was triggered after Boris Johnson announced he would leave Downing Street after an avalanche of ministerial resignations over his handling of the Chris Pincher scandal.
He will continue as prime minister until his successor is appointed.
Johnson has been scrutinized this week for not attending three COBRA emergency meetings over the heat wave.
A source number 10 said the prime minister had been in contact with the relevant ministers throughout the weekend.
Kit Malthouse, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who chaired the meetings, insisted Johnson was “at the forefront of the situation.”
Lisa Nandy, the secretary of shadow communities, said the prime minister has “clearly stopped” since announcing his resignation, urging him and all his ministers to “show up to work.”