TORY RESULT Priti Patel is first out of Tory leadership race as Robert Jenrick surges ahead – but Kemi Badenoch hot on his heels
ROBERT Jenrick surged into the lead in the Tory leadership race - with Kemi Badenoch hot on his heels.
The ex-Cabinet Minister picked up 28 votes with second-placed Kemi on 22 votes.
Ex-Home Secretary Priti Patel was knocked out of the contest picking up just 14 votes.
Tom Tugendhat picked up 17 votes with Mel Stride winning over 16 MPs.
Candidates Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, Mel Stride, Priti Patel, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat have all been courting MP votes in recent weeks.
Tory MPs voted for the first time today on who should be the next leader after Rishi Sunak decided to stand down as leader.
The party crashed to a humiliating defeat in July's election and only returned some 121 MPs.
Tory leadership contest - first round round results
Robert Jenrick - 28
Kemi Badenoch - 22
James Cleverly - 21
Tom Tugendhat - 17
Mel Stride - 16
Priti Patel - 14
Four candidates will take part in a 'beauty contest' at this month's Tory party conference in Birmingham.
They will directly speak to members at the annual rally before two more candidates are knocked out by MPs.
The final two will then tour the country in a final attempt to win over members before votes are cast.
There has been disquiet among Tory MPs that they want a new leader in place before the November result is announced.
Many MPs want the next Tory leader to be in office ready to respond to the Budget which takes place on October 30.
Result show leadership contest is now wide open
By JACK ELSOM, Chief Political Correspondent
IF we’ve learnt anything of Tory MPs over the past few years, it’s that they are one hell of a fickle bunch.
Conventional wisdom had Kemi Badenoch the hot favourite, while Mel Stride was surely heading for the exit.
Stride will probably only have delayed the inevitable by a few days and get the boot next week.
Although it is testament to his legwork currying favour with colleagues that he survived the first round; many MPs have passed through Stride's kitchen in recent times.
But with Robert Jenrick now into the lead - and Priti Patel the first one gone - the race is wide open.
Trying to work out how the votes will now shake down is a mug’s game, yet the broad shape of this contest has become clearer.
If it is anything like previous ones, the final two will likely feature one MP from the right of the party, and one MP from the left.
Jenrick and Badenoch will both hope to mop up Patel’s supporters and stake their claim as the standard-bearer for the Tory right.
For Jenrick, his newfound position as the frontrunner is a double-edged sword. It might encourage right-wingers to flock to his banner and ingratiate themselves with the favourite.
But it will also make him the target of more blue-on-blue mudslinging that will only ramp up as the contest goes on.
Cleverly will be happy to run in at third on his birthday, especially coming ahead of Tom Tugendhat, with whom he is battling for the One Nation vote.
Both will surely already be sniffing around Stride’s supporters in anticipation he will be out next.
One thing we do know is that the party conference in Birmingham could now be crucial. The final four will embark on a beauty parade to set out their stalls and there is all to play for.
And with the Tory parliamentary party the world’s most volatile electorate, anything could happen.
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