James Cleverly Surges to Lead Conservative Leadership Ballot as Tom Tugendhat Is Eliminated

Former British Home Secretary James Cleverly surged into first place in the third round of the Conservative Party leadership contest on Tuesday, securing 39 votes from fellow Members of Parliament and reshaping the race to succeed Rishi Sunak.

Cleverly overtook former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, who placed second with 31 votes, and former business secretary Kemi Badenoch, who secured 30 votes, following a well-received keynote speech at the party's annual conference in Birmingham.

Cleverly Gains Momentum Following Party Conference Address

Former Security Minister Tom Tugendhat was eliminated from the leadership contest after finishing in fourth place with 20 votes, leaving three prominent figures contending for the right to advance to the final party-wide membership vote.

Cleverly's sharp upward surge of 18 votes compared to the second round established him as the frontrunner, drawing support from moderate Tory lawmakers seeking an experienced, unifying cabinet veteran capable of holding Labour to account.

“Our party must unite, deliver disciplined opposition to Labour, and present a confident, optimistic conservative alternative founded on security, lower taxes, and strong public services.” — James Cleverly, Conservative Leadership Candidate

The Decisive Battle for the Final Two on the Ballot

Jenrick and Badenoch, both competing aggressively for the party's right wing, will now vie intensely for Tugendhat's 20 uncommitted centrist backers in the fourth round of voting scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.

Once MPs whittle the field down to the final two contenders, roughly 170,000 grassroots Conservative Party members will cast postal and online ballots, with the new Leader of the Opposition scheduled to be declared on November 2.

Sources

• 1922 Committee / Conservative Party
• UK Parliament