Sunak, Mordaunt Lead Latest Vote in Race to Succeed Johnson – By Ellen Milligan (Bloomberg) / July 18, 2022
(Bloomberg) — Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt retained the top two places in the contest to be Conservative leader and next UK prime minister after topping a third ballot of the party’s MPs on Monday.
The former Chancellor of the Exchequer won 115 votes, ahead of Mordaunt with 82. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was third with 71. Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch secured fourth place to stay in the race, while Tom Tugendhat, the most centrist remaining candidate, was eliminated.
BREAKING: Rishi Sunak wins the most votes in the third round of the Conservative leadership contest, with Penny Mordaunt in second place and Tom Tugendhat eliminated, 1922 Committee Chairman Graham Brady announces
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— Bloomberg UK (@BloombergUK) July 18, 2022
With further votes scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, the picture can still change, and much will depend on who Tugendhat’s supporters choose to back. The field will be narrowed down to a final two, with the grassroots Tory members making the final decision. The winner will be announced Sept. 5.
