In a surprising turn of events, James Cleverly was eliminated from the Conservative leadership race on Tuesday, leaving Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick as the final contenders.

Kemi Badenoch surged ahead, winning the backing of 42 Conservative MPs, while former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick received 41 votes. Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly, who had been the favorite, fell behind with 37 votes.

Cleverly had previously been seen as the frontrunner after topping the third round of voting among Tory MPs when Tom Tugendhat, the Shadow Security Minister, was eliminated.

Around 20 Conservative MPs had initially supported Tugendhat, leaving their votes to be redistributed in this crucial stage of the contest.

Earlier on Tuesday, Cleverly had secured 39 votes, with Jenrick following with 31, and Badenoch close behind with 30. However, Cleverly's support dipped, sparking speculation that some MPs may have strategically lent him votes in earlier rounds or that his campaign had overestimated its strength.

Cleverly dismissed the rumors and expressed gratitude to his supporters, saying, "I'm grateful for the support I've received from colleagues, party members, and the public. Sadly, it wasn't to be. We are all Conservatives, and it's important for the party to unite in challenging the disastrous Labour government."

The final phase of the leadership contest will now involve a vote by Conservative Party members across the UK to choose Rishi Sunak's successor, with the result to be announced on November 2.

During the campaign, Cleverly impressed many colleagues with his strong performance at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. He had emerged as the bookmakers' favorite after calling for the party to "be more normal" and promote "Conservatism with a smile."

Kemi Badenoch gained attention at the same conference for controversial remarks, including suggesting that up to 10% of civil servants should be arrested for incompetence and describing maternity pay as "excessive." One senior Tory MP remarked that Badenoch could be an exciting leader but warned that there were concerns about her stability, saying, "We know she’s Mrs. T. We just haven’t figured out if that’s Thatcher or Truss."

Meanwhile, Robert Jenrick has focused his campaign on issues such as migration, the economy, and policing, and has called for the UK to leave the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Photo by Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street, Wikimedia commons.