Mel Stride out as four left in Tory leadership contest

The Conservative leadership contest has been whittled down to four candidates after former cabinet minister Mel Stride was knocked out in a vote of Tory MPs.

The former immigration minister Robert Jenrick finished top with 33 votes, with Kemi Badenoch second on 28 votes.

James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat got 21 votes each from Tory MPs, leaving Mel Stride with the fewest votes on 16.

There will be further voting after the party’s conference next month, before members pick one of the final two to be the new leader.

The winner will replace former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who stood down as party leader after leading the Conservatives to their worst performance at a general election in July.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel went out in the first round of voting by Tory MPs last week.

In the second round, Jenrick and Badenock slightly increased their vote-shares, while Cleverly stayed on 21 and Tugendhat added four to his tally.

The shadow work and pensions secretary, Stride had a fairly low profile and was loyal ally of Sunak, often seen defending his decisions in TV interviews.

Stride positioned himself as a steady hand who could restore the credibility of the Conservative Party after its historic defeat in the general election.

His leadership platform offered to unite the party behind Conservative values and win back the public's trust.

There will be oppurtunities to woo Tory MPs at the party's annual conference at the end of September.

An intensive round of hustings and multiple votes will follow the conference from 8 October, lasting three days, until only two candidates are left.

Conservative Party members will then choose which of the final two candidates they want as the new leader, with the result announced on 2 November.

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