TOM Tugendhat has crashed out of the Tory leadership contest – leaving Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch battling to survive.
James Cleverly is the new frontrunner on 39, leapfrogging former favourite Mr Jenrick who scored 31.
Ms Badenoch is hot on his heels with 30 going into the final Tory MPs’ knockout rounds tomorrow to decide the last two candidates who will go before a full ballot of party members.
It sets up a showdown fight for the Tory right between her and Mr Jenrick tomorrow.
Ex-Security Minister Mr Tugendhat became the third candidate to be eliminated after receiving just 20 votes, down one from last time.
The remaining three candidates will spend 24 hours scrambling to hoover up Mr Tugendhat’s MP supporters.
Following his result today, Mr Cleverly said: “I’m grateful to all my colleagues for their support today, and I’m pleased to be through to the next round.
“The job’s not finished. I’m excited to keep spreading our positive Conservative message.”
It is likely Shadow Home Secretary Mr Cleverly will benefit the most from the exit of his fellow centrist Mr Tugendhat.
By NOA HOFFMAN, Political Correspondent
THE Tory leadership race was flipped on its head today as break-out contender James Cleverly leap-frogged into first place.
The Shadow Home Secretary, initially an underdog in the contest, saw his support boom from 21 to 39 MPs – a jump of 18.
Meanwhile, former frontrunner Robert Jenrick lost the backing of two colleagues, a big blow for his campaign.
The results show that four days of intensive campaign work at Conservative Party Conference last week indeed shifted the dial.
Mr Cleverly was largely seen as a stand-out performer in Birmingham, impressing both MPs and members with his pitch to make the Tories “more normal” and deliver “Conservatism with a smile”.
Contrastingly, both Mr Jenrick and grassroots darling Ms Badenoch saw their conference campaigns marred by gaffes and unforced errors.
And those mistakes cost both candidates in today’s vote.
With Tom Tugendhat out of the race, the Shadow Home Secretary has all but solidified his spot in the final round.
As a moderate he’s likely to suck up most of Mr Tugendhat’s 20 backers, setting the stage for a one nation versus ‘right winger’ showdown on November 2.
If today’s vote has shown anything, it’s that the next Conservative leader is far from a forgone conclusion.
Just one slip-up in an interview or on social media could make all the difference in who becomes Britain’s next leader of the opposition
Mr Cleverly has already received a boost after former hopeful Mel Stride endorsed him yesterday on the back of a successful party conference speech.
It saw him catapulted into first place with a stonking 18 more votes than the last round in September.
Mr Jenrick lost two MPs, while Ms Badenoch gained two to get within touching distance of him.
But the result still leaves grassroots favourite Ms Badenoch battling to survive after a difficult few weeks of gaffes.
She became embroiled in a row about “excessive” maternity pay at the conference in Birmingham last week.
However polls show she remains the rank-and-file’s preferred choice and will likely storm a vote of the full membership.
A Kemi campaign spokesman said today: “There are three candidates left in this contest, two are gaining votes and one is going backwards and losing support.
“The right of the Conservative Party now needs to coalesce around Kemi, who can reach across and unify the party, has the star quality to cut through in opposition, and is indisputably the members’ choice for leader.”
A Jenrick campaign source said: “Robert is now in prime position to make the final two. MPs want seriousness and competence.
“That’s why he’s won support from across the party so far – from Danny Kruger on the right to Vicky Atkins on the left.”
THE third round results:
Robert Jenrick: 31
James Cleverly: 39
Kemi Badenoch: 30
Tom Tugendhat: 20 Eliminated
How the contest works:
September 4: First round of Tory MP voting to eliminate one candidate
September 10: Second round of Tory MP voting to eliminate one candidate
September 29 – October 2: Final four candidates make their pitches at Conservative party conference in Birmingham
October 8: Third round of Tory MP voting to eliminate one candidate
October 9: Fourth round of Tory MP voting to eliminate one candidate. The final two go to a vote of the wider party membership
November 2: New Tory leader announced
