Huge boost to Cleverlys Tory leadership bid after shock vote win as Tugendhat eliminated [Video]

PINNED | Cleverly clinches top spot as Tugendhat eliminated from leadership race

In a decisive turn of events in the Conservative leadership contest, James Cleverly emerged as the frontrunner, garnering 39 votes while Tom Tungendhat was eliminated after securing only 20.

Mr Cleverly’s performance marks a notable resurgence from his previous tally of just 21 votes in the round held before the party conference.

His strong showing is seen as a reflection of his impactful conference speech, where he was tipped as a standout candidate.

Robert Jenrick trailed closely behind Mr Clevelry with 31 votes, while Kemi Badenoch rounded out the top three with 30, having gained two votes from the previous round.

In contrast, Mr Jenrick experienced a slight decline, losing the support of two MPs.

The final vote among Conservative MPs is set to take place tomorrow, narrowing the field from three candidates to the last two, who …