Kemi Badenoch has been knocked out from the UK Conservative Party leadership race, leaving three contenders battling to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister.
She received the backing of just 59 Tories, while 118 supported Rishi Sunak, 92 voted for Penny Mordaunt and Liz Truss was supported by 86 of her colleagues.
There was one spoiled ballot.
Ms Truss appears to have the most momentum, picking up 15 votes on yesterday’s result, while Ms Mordaunt gained 10 and Mr Sunak increased his tally by just three.
The departure of former equalities minister Ms Badenoch was expected, given she was competing against three MPs with extensive Cabinet experience, and she was always considered one of the race’s underdogs.
Tom Tudgendhat, who was eliminated from the contest on Monday evening, was another outsider who progressed much further in the competition than had been expected.
Mr Sunak appears guaranteed to reach the final two, as things stand, with Ms Truss and Ms Mordaunt hoping to gain the votes made available by Ms Badenoch leaving the race.
But Sunak’s lead is dwindling as the other two rivals close the gap.
Lawmakers will eliminate one more before the governing party’s 200,000 members choose their new leader, who will automatically become prime minister.
Unlike in 2019, when Johnson was a clear favourite going into the contest, the result is more difficult to forecast, with polls of party members suggesting Sunak would lose to whoever is chosen to face him.
Since Johnson said he would resign earlier this month after his scandal-ridden administration lost the support of many Conservatives, the race to replace him has become increasingly ugly with the contenders trading barbs and challenging records.
Mordaunt just held on to second place and thanked colleagues for their support.
“We are so nearly across the finish line. I am raring to go and excited to put my case to members across the country and win,” she said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Truss said it was “time for the party to unite behind a candidate who will govern in a Conservative way and who has shown she can deliver time and again”.
