To get their name on the ballot paper for the competition’s first vote, each candidate had to receive 20 nominations for Conservative Party leader from Tory MPs.
Sajid Javid is the competition’s most significant dropout, with the ex-health secretary announcing his withdrawal just before the results were announced today.
“I look forward to seeing the debate unfold and colleagues working together as a united Conservative Party once the leadership election is concluded,” he said in a statement.
Who made it through?
Sunak Rishi
Penelope Mordaunt
Tugendhat, Tom
Zahawi, Nadhim
Truss, Liz
Mr. Jeremy Hunt
Braverman, Suella
Badenoch, Kemi
Former chancellor Rishi Sunak secured his place on Wednesday’s ballot paper well ahead of his competitors by launching his campaign early and garnering more than double the 20 nominations required to advance.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, on the other hand, appears to have accepted early on that he would not receive enough support to advance to the first round of voting and dropped out early this morning.
Penny Mordaunt, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, and backbencher Tom Tugendhat also secured their places on the ballot paper well in advance.
Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt also made it through, but according to reports, he was struggling to get enough nominations and only made it in late.
Mr Hunt has denied that Mr Sunak’s campaign manipulated MPs’ votes to help him clear the first hurdle in the Tory leadership election.
Former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, Attorney General Suella Braverman, and Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi also advanced to the next round.
