Former Home Secretary Priti Patel has been eliminated from the race to succeed Rishi Sunak as the next Conservative Party leader. Patel, who won only 14 out of 121 votes in the first round of voting by Tory Members of Parliament, was the first to exit the contest. The results were announced by Bob Blackman, Chair of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee, in Westminster.
Robert Jenrick, former Immigration Minister, leads the race with 28 votes, positioning himself as the frontrunner. Kemi Badenoch, Shadow Communities Secretary, secured 22 votes and will advance to the next round alongside James Cleverly (21 votes), Tom Tugendhat (17 votes), and Mel Stride (16 votes). The next round of voting will take place on Tuesday, further narrowing the field.
The remaining candidates will present their visions at the Conservative Party Conference later this month, where the final two candidates will be selected by the wider Tory membership. The new leader, who will replace Sunak as Opposition Leader in the House of Commons, will be announced on November 2.
Patel’s campaign highlighted her commitment to hard work and enterprise, rooted in her Gujarati heritage and her upbringing in her family’s local shop. Despite her elimination, her team emphasized her dedication to holding Labour accountable for their policies.
