Dame Priti Patel has been knocked out of the Tory leadership race to replace Rishi Sunak, as rival Robert Jenrick was revealed to be leading the field.
The results of the first ballot of MPs were revealed this afternoon with the former immigration minister emerging as the favourite among Conservative MPs to lead the party.
Jenrick secured 28 votes, while the bookies’ presumed frontrunner and former business and trade secretary Kemi Badenoch came second with 22 votes.
Shadow home secretary James Cleverly was one vote down with 21, while shadow security minister Tom Tugendhat picked up 17 votes.
The shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride received 16 votes, and former home secretary Dame Priti was eliminated from the contest with just 14.
MPs will vote again next week to whittle the candidates down to four ahead of the annual party conference in Birmingham on September 29, where hustings will be held.
The Conservative Parliamentary Party will then conduct further votes to select the final two candidates for grassroots members to choose from, with the final results on November 2.
Some 30 Tory MPs gathered in a parliamentary committee room for the result of the ballot.
Badenoch, who now serves as shadow communities secretary, claimed the result of the first round of voting showed there was “huge support” for her campaign.
She added: “It’s time to deal with hard truths today, rather than big problems tomorrow. I look forward to making the case for renewal around the country, with colleagues and members.”
Tugendhat said it was a “privilege” to have made it through and paid tribute to Dame Priti.
He added: “Mel, James, Kemi and Robert are all friends and good Conservatives. However, only I can deliver the Conservative revolution that our party and our nation need.”
Cleverly said “momentum” was on his campaign’s side, adding: “We can only unite our party with Conservative values and I am ready to lead, and win, the next general election.”
A Labour party spokesperson said: “From what we have seen so far, not one of them is prepared to learn from the lessons of the past.
“It is a damning indictment of the state of the Conservative Party that these candidates are the best they have to offer.”