Former chancellor to the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, gained the support of 115 MPs in the latest round of voting, giving him a wide lead at the top. The second position is held by Penny Mordaunt who secured 82 votes.
Liz Truss is in the third position with the support of 71 MPs while Kemi Badenoch is fourth with the support of 58 MPs. Tom Tugendhat bowed out of the race as only 31 MPs backed him.
Mordaunt said: “My vote is steady and I’m grateful to my colleagues for all their support and thrilled to be in second place once more.”
A News 18 report stated that all eyes will now be on those 31 MPs as contenders will try to win their backing since Tugendhat is knocked out of the race. The next round of voting will be held on Tuesday and by Wednesday the candidates will be whittled down to two.
“People are ready for a clean start and our party must deliver on it and put trust back into politics,” Tugendhat was quoted as saying after his exit by BBC. The former Territorial Army officer said he was overwhelmed with the support he received from people all over Britain.
In a statement, he said, “I want to thank my team, colleagues and, most of all, the British people for their support.”
“I have been overwhelmed by the response we have received across the country. People are ready for a clean start and our party must deliver on it and put trust back into politics.”
