Conservative leadership contest: Hunt and Zahawi out

Rishi Sunak came top in the first round of voting for a new Conservative Party leader.

Jeremy Hunt is no longer a candidate after finishing last in the ballot, while Nadhim Zahawi is also out after failing to reach the threshold for the second round of voting, set for Thursday.

All of the other candidates - Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Penny Mordaunt, Mr Sunak, Liz Truss and Tom Tugendhat - had at least 30 votes, Sir Graham Brady announced.

There will be further ballots until the candidates are whittled down to two who will then face a vote from Tory members over the summer break from parliament.

The winner is set to be announced when the Commons meets again on 5 September. The victor is expected to take over from Boris Johnson the next day.

13 July 2022