Today’s the day that the nation finds out who the final two Conservative leadership candidates will be – after a vote by MPs this afternoon. On Tuesday, former security minister Tom Tugendhat was knocked out after receiving the backing of just 20 MPs, coming fourth place to Kemi Badenoch on 30 votes, Robert Jenrick on 31 and James Cleverly on a whopping 39. And finally the question on everyone’s lips has been answered: who does Nigel Farage reckon will be eliminated today?
Speaking on GB News, the Reform UK leader set out his predictions for today’s highly-anticipated result – and couldn’t resist blasting the Tory ‘establishment’ in the process. ‘Who makes the last two?’ he asked:
Well, I tell you: Cleverly, clearly makes the last two. And in fact, you would expect, in policy and positioning terms, him to get many of the Tugendhat votes. So who makes it through between Jenrick on 31 and Badenoch on 30? Here is my guess. My guess is that the Cleverly camp and the Conservative establishment will lend a few votes to Kemi Badenoch because they don’t want Jenrick – because Jenrick wants to do things like leave the ECHR, and that would never do.
That’s my prediction. That’s what will happen. It’ll be Cleverly versus Badenoch.
How curious. It comes after the Clacton MP slammed the new frontrunner yesterday, dubbing Cleverly and the Labour Prime Minister as ‘identical twins, on virtually everything’. Crikey. And the Reform leader was not overly kind about former home office minister Jenrick in the aftermath of Tuesday’s results either, even offering on ITV to, er, ‘coach’ the candidate on how to be more like him:
The Jenrick campaign is faltering really quite badly, and I think overall Cleverly now must be the favourite. Well, Jenrick tried to be Nigel Farage. I mean, I can give him lessons if he wants, and coach him – but you can’t try to out-Farage Farage unless you’ve got a track record in actually believing in these things.
Oo er. The gloves are off. As the countdown until today’s result continues, bookmakers have certainly seen Badenoch’s odds shorten – while Cleverly appears a certain finalist. Will Kemi manage to squeeze Rob at one of the last hurdles? Stay tuned…
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