In the fifth and final round of voting by Tory MPs, the leadership candidates received the following support:
Ms Mordaunt – 105 votes Mr Sunak – 137 votes Ms Truss – 113 votes
There were two spoiled ballots and one person did not vote. Politics Hub: Will Sunak or Truss be the next PM? Ms Mordaunt had been second in all previous rounds of voting, but a late surge by Ms Truss – who won 27 votes in 24 hours – cost her a place on the ballot, with just eight votes separating the pair. The leader of the race, former chancellor Mr Sunak, won 19 supporters, while Ms Mordant was only able to recruit 13 more. It will now be up to members of the wider Conservative Party to decide on its next leader from the bottom two after a summer of infighting, with the result to be announced on September 5. Sky News has also announced that it will hold a live televised debate between Mr Sunak and Ms Truss on Thursday 4 August, hosted by Kay Burley. Speaking after the result, Trade Secretary Ms Mordaunt said she would “continue to work hard” to repay those who supported her and stressed that Conservative MPs “must now all work together to unite our party”. He also congratulated Mr Sunak and Ms Truss, saying: “I pay tribute to anyone who puts themselves forward for such a challenging role.” Ms Mordaunt added: “Politics is not easy. It can be a divisive and difficult place. We must now all work together to unify our party and focus on the work that needs to be done. “I am one nation, proud Brexiteer. My campaign promoted a positive vision for the country I love so much, reminding who we are here to serve. “Our mission is not only to deliver what we promised, but to win the fight against Labor at the next general election. I hope to play my part in both.” Image: Penny Mordaunt was second in all previous rounds of voting but a late surge by Ms Truss cost her a place on the ballot Both Mr Sunak and Ms Truss spoke to reporters after the result, making their final appearances before six weeks of campaigning. The former chancellor said he would tackle the problems facing the UK “honestly and responsibly”. He also promised to “support people… to grow our economy and take advantage of the freedoms that Brexit gives us”. But Mr Sunak’s main message to members was about when the whole country will go to the polls. “Primarily I am the person who is best placed to beat Keir Starmer at the next election and that is the question that Conservative members will have to consider,” he added. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 3:04 Rishi Sunak talks to broadcasters after making it to the final round of the Tory leadership race. Meanwhile, Ms Truss said if elected Tory leader she would “hit the ground running from day one”. The foreign secretary added: “We have two years until the next possible general election and I want to deliver for the people. “I want to deliver lower taxes, I want to help struggling families, I want to make sure we unlock all the potential and talent across Britain. “That’s been my focus throughout this campaign and that’s what I’ll be campaigning on over the next six weeks across the country.” Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:27 Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is now the favorite to become the next Conservative leader, according to Paddy Power’s latest odds. However, Labour’s Conor McGinn described both candidates as “continuity candidates”, accusing them of being “prints of the Johnson government, whose fingerprints are all over the state of the country today”. He added: “Both are now desperately trying to distance themselves from the Tories’ record of the last 12 years. But both have backed every decision, including every one of Boris Johnson’s 15 tax increases.” The leadership contest was sparked after Johnson announced he would leave Downing Street following an avalanche of ministerial resignations over his handling of the Chris Pincher scandal. Voting will close on September 2 and whoever emerges victorious on September 5 is expected to replace Mr Johnson as prime minister the following day. But first come the parades, organized by the Conservative Party, which will begin in Leeds on Thursday ahead of similar events in all four UK nations. Mr Sunak and Ms Truss will also front an event organized by the Conservative Councilors Association tomorrow. Read more: What happens now only Truss and Sunak remain? Leaks probe launched after claims civil service tried to damage Mordaunt’s chances About 160,000 members were eligible to vote in the previous leadership election, where the current prime minister defeated Jeremy Hunt, but that number is expected to have increased since then. Yesterday, former Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch was kicked out of the leadership race after receiving the fewest votes. But a YouGov poll of Conservative members published ahead of Tuesday’s vote showed she would have beaten any of her rivals in a final showdown. The same poll also showed Mr Sunak would struggle to win over Tory members, regardless of which of the remaining candidates he might face in the bottom two.
