Robert Jenrick makes final two in Tory leadership race amid tight result

Conservative Party members will now decide whether Nottinghamshire's Robert Jenrick or Kemi Badenoch should lead them

Robert Jenrick has made the final two in the Tory leadership race to succeed Rishi Sunak after an incredibly tight vote by MPs. The Conservative Party confirmed that James Cleverly has been eliminated from the contest, with Nottinghamshire MP Mr Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch going through.

Party members will now have the final say on which of the two candidates should lead the Conservatives. Voting for party members will close on October 31, with the winner then being declared on November 2.

Bob Blackman, the returning officer for the Tory leadership race, confirmed on Wednesday (October 9) that Robert Jenrick had received 41 votes out of 120. Kemi Badenoch received 42 votes, whilst James Cleverly received the least on 37.

Mr Jenrick, who has served as the MP for Newark since 2014, is now the only Conservative MP left in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire following the July general election. Speaking at the recent Conservative Party conference, 42-year-old Mr Jenrick claimed his resignation under the previous government over the Rwanda plan was the only reason he retained his Newark seat.

The leadership contender said: "You know that I loathe empty rhetoric, big words and empty action. You know that I will take a stand, you saw me take a stand last year and, frankly, it is the only reason why I won my seat of Newark at the general election against all the polls and the pundits."