Robert Jenrick on top in first round of Tory leadership race as Priti Patel eliminated

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Robert Jenrick has finished top in the first round of voting in the Tory leadership contest as Dame Priti Patel was eliminated from the race. 
Mr Jenrick secured the backing of 28 Tory MPs, putting him six ahead of Kemi Badenoch who finished in second place with 22. 
James Cleverly was in third place with 21, Tom Tugendhat was in fourth place with 17 and Mel Stride was in fifth place with 16. Dame Priti finished in last place after securing the backing of 14 MPs. 
Mr Cleverly posted on X, formerly Twitter: “Momentum is on our side, but the work continues.”
Mr Tugendhat said his leadership rivals are “all friends” but he believed he is the only candidate who can “deliver the Conservative revolution that our Party and our nation need”.
Shadow minister Andrew Griffith, who is backing Mrs Badenoch, said: “At this point in the cycle, you often see people come through and gather support and momentum, and it seems to me Kemi’s got that momentum.”
The five surviving candidates will now face a second vote on Tuesday next week as Tory MPs are tasked with reducing the field down to four. 
The successful quartet will then make their case to Tory members at the Conservative Party’s annual conference in Birmingham at the end of the month.
Tory MPs will then vote again between Oct 9-10 to eliminate two more candidates, leaving a final duo who will face a ballot of Conservative members. 
Member voting will close at 5pm on Oct 31 and Rishi Sunak’s replacement will then be announced on Nov 2. 
You can follow today’s updates below and join the conversation in the comments section. 
Thank you for joining me for today’s politics live blog. 
I will be back tomorrow morning. 
A great colleague, formidable campaigner & a brilliant Conservative Home Secretary.@pritipatel has run a fantastic campaign and deserves huge credit for her hard work. She will be an integral part of the future of our Party. pic.twitter.com/a3wvGSROmG
Dame Priti Patel is no longer in the Tory leadership race while Robert Jenrick is riding high after finishing top in the first round of voting. 
Telegraph readers have been responding to this afternoon’s action in the comments section of today’s politics live blog:  
Labour claimed none of the Tory leadership candidates are “prepared to learn from the lessons of the past”. 
Responding to this afternoon’s vote, a Labour spokesperson said: “The Tories have successfully slimmed down the pool of contenders from six people who each played their hand in 14 years of chaos and decline, to five people who each played their hand in 14 years of chaos and decline.
“From what we have seen so far, not one of them is prepared to learn from the lessons of the past. It is a damning indictment of the state of the Conservative Party that these candidates are the best they have to offer.
“The Conservatives left the worst possible inheritance. Labour is getting on with the job of fixing it.”
Kemi Badenoch is still a bookmaker’s favourite to be the next Tory leader, despite finishing in second place in the first round of MP voting. 
Coral offered the following odds after this afternoon’s result: 
Coral’s John Hill said: “Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick have both had their odds slashed following the opening round of voting in the Conservative leadership race. The former picked up the most votes, but it is Badenoch who is the favourite in our betting to replace Rishi Sunak in November.” 
Kemi Badenoch has “momentum” after coming second in the first Tory leadership ballot, shadow minister Andrew Griffith has said.
Mr Griffith, who is backing Mrs Badenoch for the leadership, told Sky News: “Kemi did really well in this round, second, coming through very strongly for someone who, remember, is one of the younger members of the candidate team here.”
Pointing to polls suggesting Mrs Badenoch has significant support among party members, Mr Griffith added: “At this point in the cycle, you often see people come through and gather support and momentum, and it seems to me Kemi’s got that momentum.”
Great to be through to the next round and proud to have the support of my fellow MPs.We can only unite our Party with Conservative values, and I am ready to lead, and win, the next General Election. Momentum is on our side, but the work continues. pic.twitter.com/fu4IcYQkdm
And then there were five. 
Dame Priti Patel will not be the next leader of the Conservative Party after she was eliminated from the contest this afternoon. 
But five candidates are still in the race and based on today’s result it is still all to play for in terms of who could make it to the final four and then the final two. 
Who do you think should be the next Tory leader? You can have your say in our reader poll below: 
Thank you to every one of my colleagues who voted for me. This, coupled with all the independent members polls, show that there is huge support for @renewal2030.It’s time to deal with hard truths today, rather than big problems tomorrow. I look forward to making the case for…
The big question following Dame Priti Patel’s elimination from the Tory leadership race is whether she will now endorse another one of the candidates. 
In a parliamentary party of just 121 MPs, Dame Priti will now be in a powerful position as she could help to deliver her 14 backers to one of her rivals. 
That could play a big part in the outcome of the second round of voting next Tuesday. 
Tom Tugendhat said his leadership rivals are “all friends” but he believed he is the only candidate who can “deliver the Conservative revolution that our Party and our nation need”. 
He said: “It is a privilege to have the support of my Parliamentary colleagues and to have made it through to the next round of the leadership contest. To my friend Priti, you have always faithfully served this Party, care deeply about its future, and I’m sure you will continue to play a key role in it.
“Mel, James, Kemi, and Robert are all friends and good Conservatives. However, only I can deliver the Conservative revolution that our party and our nation need. I will lead in opposition as I would as Prime Minister, by serving the British people, leading with conviction, and acting to make our nation better. That is my promise, and I always deliver on my promises.”
I am honoured to have made it through to the next round of this leadership contest.I am ready to serve, lead and act to make Britain a better place. pic.twitter.com/aOSRwdBVbA
Bob Blackman, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, said the second vote in the Tory leadership contest will take place on Tuesday next week. 
That is a minor change – we had expected it to take place on Monday.
Robert Jenrick has finished top in the first round of voting in the Tory leadership contest as Dame Priti Patel was eliminated from the race. 
here are the results:
We are now just minutes away from finding out which candidate will be the first to be eliminated from the Tory leadership race. 
We are expecting to hear from Bob Blackman, the 1922 Committee chairman, imminently. 
The result of the first MPs’ vote in the Tory leadership contest will be heavily scrutinised. 
Many people in Westminster expect Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick to be in the top two, although not necessarily in that order. 
But could one of the other candidates spring a surprise? 
It is certainly possible, especially because the voting process is entirely secret. 
Only so many of the 121 Tory MPs have declared their allegiance publicly which means there are plenty of votes in play behind the scenes. 
All that matters for the candidates at this stage is staying alive in the contest and making it to the final four.  
Voting has now closed in the first round of the Tory leadership contest. 
The ballots cast by Conservative MPs will now be counted and the result will be announced at 3.30pm. 
A dozen Tory peers have announced they are backing Kemi Badenoch in the Conservative Party’s leadership contest. 
In a letter published by Mrs Badenoch’s “Renewal 2030” campaign, the peers said she had the “honesty, vision, and ability to take the fight to all other major parties: Labour, Reform, the SNP and Liberal Democrats”. 
Experienced members of the House of Lords are backing Kemi to renew the Conservative Party. Read why ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/MPoAV72eid
Six will soon become five as Tory MPs vote this afternoon to get rid of one of the current field of Tory leadership contenders. 
But who do you believe should replace Rishi Sunak? You can have your say in our reader poll below: 
The Daily T podcast has done sit down interviews with four of the six Tory leadership candidates (so far). 
You can find the podcasts here: 
Voting is now well under way in the first round of the Tory leadership contest. 
Conservative MPs have a window between 1.30pm and 3pm to cast their ballot, with the result due to be announced at 3.30pm. 
One of the six candidates will be eliminated. 
The candidates, if you needed a reminder, are: Mel Stride, Dame Priti Patel, James Cleverly, Tom Tugendhat, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch.
You may keep forgetting you’re the Prime Minister @Keir_Starmer, but the British people don’t.It’s YOUR choice to deprive vulnerable pensioners of their winter fuel payments.It’s YOUR choice to give striking train drivers on £60K a £10K pay rise.
Sir Keir Starmer is facing a growing rebellion over cutbacks to the winter fuel payment ahead of a crunch Commons vote next week.Around a dozen Labour MPs have now voiced concerns over the move, including eight who have signed a motion urging him to pause it.Former frontbencher Stella Creasy became the latest to intervene, saying No 10 should make savings on Private Finance Initiative schemes instead.“Before we ask pensioners to pay more for heating, we should ask how we pay less for PFI,” she wrote in an article for the Labour List website.The Prime Minister is set to call a vote, to take place on Tuesday, on the move to strip the winter fuel payment from 10 million pensioners.
Sir Keir Starmer is currently setting out his response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report and answering questions from MPs. 
You can watch below: 
Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the proposed cuts to the winter fuel payment will affect carers who earn more than the new threshold for receiving the benefit.
Sir Ed told the Commons about a carer named Norman who looks after his wife, Ros, who has Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis and who has gone back to work in order to be able to afford her care.
He said: “As their income is just a few hundred pounds above the limit for pension credit, they are set to lose their winter fuel allowance unless the Prime Minister listens to these benches and others and changes this plan.
“So if he doesn’t, what advice has the Prime Minister got for Norman, Ros and millions of struggling pensioners as they face rising heating bills this winter?”
Sir Keir said: “I know how much he, both politically and personally has championed care. We have taken a difficult decision, and I’m not pretending it’s not a difficult decision. Of course it’s a difficult decision, but we have to stabilise the economy.
“The first thing the Chancellor did was an audit, she found £22 billion worth of unfunded spending. We can’t walk past that – we can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.
“We will put all the support in that we can, and talk to the local government about this, but we have to take tough decisions in relation to this.”
Sir Keir Starmer signalled the Government will not change course over scrapping winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners. 
A Tory MP asked Sir Keir if he would consider “broadening the eligibility for the winter fuel payment so that those low income pensioners who rely on it to stay warm can continue to benefit”. 
Sir Keir said: “The reality is this. This decision has been taken because of the £22 billion black hole so responsibility for the position lies with the party that broke the economy. 
“There is a reason we have a mandate for change, there is a reason that this party is now sitting there and that is because they broke the economy and I am not going to apologise for clearing up the mess that they left.” 
Sir Keir Starmer said the Government will take action to tackle “extortionate” concert ticket resale prices after the issue was brought into sharp focus by the recent demand for Oasis tickets. 
The Prime Minister was asked by a Labour MP if he agreed that “urgent action” was needed to stop “profiteering” by people seeking to resell tickets high above face value. 
He said: “Yes, I do. Firstly, it is great that Oasis are back together. I think from what I have determined about half the country was queuing for tickets over the weekend. 
“But it is depressing to hear of price hikes. I am committed to putting fans at the heart of music and end extortionate price resales and we are starting a consultation to work out how best we can do this.” 
Rishi Sunak criticised the timing of the Government announcement that some arms sales to Israel were being suspended after it happened on the same day that Israel was burying hostages murdered by Hamas.  
He also asked Sir Keir Starmer to give an assurance that the Government “stands behind Israel and its right to self-defence”. 
Sir Keir replied: “We absolutely recognise and support Israel’s right to self defence.” 
Rishi Sunak stressed the need for “transatlantic unity in the face of terrorist threats and avoid any perception of splits between” the UK and the US. 
The Tory leader asked Sir Keir Starmer what engagement there was with the US before the decision was taken to suspend some arms sales to Israel. 
Sir Keir would not be drawn on specifics but said: “We have talked this through with our allies… they have a different legal system.” 
Turning to the Government’s decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel, Rishi Sunak asked Sir Keir Starmer to explain how the move would help to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. 
Sir Keir said that the “remaining hostages must be released and we need a ceasefire to ensure that can happen”. 
The Prime Minister said that the Government had come to a “clear legal conclusion” that some arms sales had to end.
He added: “This is a difficult issue, I recognise that, but it is a legal decision, not a policy decision.” 
Rishi Sunak asked Sir Keir Starmer to spell out “very specifically” how much worse off pensioners would be this year under Labour than they were last year under the Tories. 
Sir Keir dodged the question but said “no prime minister wants to do what we have to do in relation to the winter fuel allowance.”
He said he was taking “tough decisions that they ducked”. 
But Mr Sunak said: “The Government doesn’t have to choose to take money off low income pensioners in order to give it to highly paid train drivers.” 
Rishi Sunak asked Sir Keir Starmer to explain to pensioners why he had taken money away from them to give more money to “highly paid train drivers”. 
Sir Keir said he had been given a mandate at the election to deliver major changes and said the Tories were trying to pretend that the UK did not have major problems. 
The Prime Minister said that if the Tories continued in a state of denial they would stay in opposition for a “very, very long time”. 
The PM said Labour had inherited “absolute chaos” from the Tories. 
Rishi Sunak used his first question at PMQs to grill Sir Keir Starmer about the decision to scrap the winter fuel payment for 10 million pensioners. 
The Tory leader said Labour had opted to take money from pensioners in order to fund big pay rises for public sector workers. 
Mr Sunak asked: “Why did he choose train drivers over Britain’s vulnerable pensioners?”
Sir Keir hit back and said Labour had to “clear up the mess left by the party opposite” as he repeated Labour’s claim about a £22 billion black hole. 
PMQs is now underway.
Sir Keir Starmer said yesterday’s incident in the Channel as 12 migrants lost their lives was “shocking and deeply tragic”. 
He said that we “must have a renewed determination to end this”. 
He also confirmed that he will be making a statement on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report after PMQs. 
 
Sir Keir Starmer has just arrived in the House of Commons chamber ahead of PMQs. 
The Prime Minister was given a warm welcome by Labour MPs as he took his seat on the frontbench. 
Sir Keir Starmer will deliver a statement in the House of Commons this afternoon responding to the publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry report. 
The Prime Minister will set out his response to the report immediately after PMQs, so from about 12.40pm. 
You will be able to follow all of the key developments in our dedicated Grenfell live blog here. 
You can also read the full story on the inquiry’s findings here.
Hundreds of thousands more retirees risk being dragged into paying tax as the state pension is expected to rise by more than £400 next year.
Rachel Reeves is poised to raise the state pension by more than £400 a year in line with the triple lock amid ongoing criticism over a £300-a-year winter fuel raid.
Treasury documents, seen by the BBC, reveal officials expect the full new state pension to rise to around £12,000 in 2025/26, after the £900 increase in 2023.
However, increasing the state pension will hit at least 300,000 pensioners with a “retirement tax” as a result of the frozen personal allowance, according to former pensions minister Steve Webb.
You can read the full story here. 
The Conservative Party’s 121 MPs will vote for the first time in the leadership contest between 1.30pm and 3pm.  
Bob Blackman, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, will then announce the result at 3.30pm. 
The vote is secret which means we will not find out who voted for who but we should get the overall vote totals for each candidate. 
The candidate with the fewest number of votes will be eliminated from the leadership race. It is possible that a second candidate could also be eliminated today if they are far behind the top four. 
Failing that, a second vote to eliminate a second candidate will take place on Monday. 
Rachel Reeves will strip most pensioners who live in poverty of their winter fuel payments, analysis of official figures suggests. 
Experts warned Labour has taken a “sledgehammer” approach to its winter fuel raid that will leave the country’s poorest retirees worse off. 
The Government is facing a growing rebellion against the policy, which goes against repeated assurances made by the party while it was in opposition.
Around 1.6 million people living below the poverty line are likely to lose their £300 winter fuel payments, research by consultants LCP based on the latest available Department for Work and Pensions figures suggests.
You can read the full story here. 
Amber Rudd, the former home secretary, has endorsed Tom Tugendhat to be the next leader of the Conservative Party. 
Ms Rudd, who left the House of Commons in 2019, said that Mr Tugendhat “shows courage and integrity in all that he did and does”. 
Good luck Tom: pic.twitter.com/iz7SIqhJ45
Sir Tony Blair has admitted that the influx of immigrants in Britain during his premiership caused “strain” on communities.
Net migration increased fivefold during the Labour administration and his decade in power has been shown to be almost directly aligned with the start of modern mass immigration to the UK.
Sir Tony, in an interview with BBC’s Amol Rajan on Tuesday, addressed his record on immigration which has come under scrutiny since his departure from No10 in 2007.
You can read the full story here. 
Kemi Badenoch has welcomed a poll of Tory members which again placed her in pole position in the leadership race. 
The shadow housing secretary said she was “very grateful” as she responded to the survey published by the Conservative Home website (see the post below at 09.34). 
She has been in first place in all three of the website’s surveys. 
She tweeted: 
Very grateful to @ConHome readers for again voting me top of their poll for the next leader of the Conservative party.Together we can renew our party, rewire the state, reboot our economy, and become confident conservatives once again.Join me at @renewal2030!… pic.twitter.com/gcMgj0n6ts
The nation is split on Labour’s plan to ban smoking in pub gardens, according to a new YouGov poll. 
Some 51 per cent of people said they would support such a ban but 43 per cent said they would oppose it in a survey conducted between Aug 29-30. 
Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed the Government is considering banning smoking in pub gardens, as well as in a selection of other outdoor spaces, in order to reduce the burden on the NHS. 
The measure is going to be consulted on. 
Britons tend to support banning smoking in public areas, but are most divided over banning it in pub gardensOutside hospitalsSupport: 76%Oppose: 21%Sports groundsSupport: 72%Oppose: 22%Pub gardensSupport: 51%Oppose: 43%https://t.co/Z05n3hU9bm pic.twitter.com/ckCodouqgK
Support from fellow Tory MPs is what matters in the first three rounds of the Conservative leadership race, and all six candidates are vying to win over their colleagues.
Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Dame Priti Patel, Tom Tugendhat and Mel Stride have thrown their hats into the ring and have all had MPs declare their support over the course of their campaigns.
The Telegraph is keeping track of who is supporting who and you can find the up to date lists here. 
Kemi Badenoch continues to lead the race to be the next Tory leader and would beat all of her rivals in head-to-head contests, according to a new survey of Conservative Party members. 
A survey of more than 800 members, conducted by the Conservative Home website between Sept 2-3 and published today, put Mrs Badenoch on 34 per cent support after people were asked who should replace Rishi Sunak.  
Robert Jenrick was in second place on 18 per cent, Tom Tugendhat was in third place on 13 per cent, James Cleverly was in fourth place on 11 per cent, Dame Priti Patel was in fifth place on 7 per cent and Mel Stride was in sixth place on 2 per cent. Some 15 per cent were undecided.
The survey suggested Mrs Badenoch would beat all of her rivals if she makes it to the final two in the contest. 
In head-to-head battles, she was backed over Mr Jenrick by 51 per cent to 34 per cent, over Mr Tugendhat by 61 per cent to 28 per cent, over Mr Cleverly by 57 per cent to 27 per cent, over Dame Priti by 65 per cent to 21 per cent, and over Mr Stride by 69 per cent to 16 per cent. 
The candidate with the second best head-to-head record was Mr Jenrick who only lost to Mrs Badenoch. 
Sir Keir Starmer and Rishi Sunak will resume their head-to-head battle in the House of Commons at lunchtime today as Prime Minister’s Questions returns for the first time since July 24. 
Mr Sunak has plenty of options to choose from when selecting the subject or subjects he will grill Sir Keir on. 
Two of the most obvious choices would be the Government’s decision to suspend some arms sales to Israel and the growing row over the decision to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners. 
Both are politically tricky for Labour and Mr Sunak could well score some points by focusing on them. 
PMQs will get underway just after noon and you will be able to watch live at the top of the page and I will post updates on the key exchanges. 
A shadow Treasury minister said he was backing Robert Jenrick in the Tory leadership race because he believed he can “unite the party”. 
Gareth Davies said Mr Jenrick would also be best placed to hold the Government to account. 
He told Sky News: “He is a very strong performer. I think he will hold this Labour Government to account very effectively and I think he will unite the party.”
James Cleverly promised to provide “Conservative solutions to Britain’s problems” as Tory MPs prepare to vote for the first time in the leadership contest. 
The former home secretary said that Left-wing solutions “won’t, and will never work”. 
The solutions of the left don’t, won’t, and will never work.We must provide Conservative solutions to Britain’s problems.As leader that’s exactly what I will do.https://t.co/fQGgalgQnD pic.twitter.com/y9Luel7T5A
Fantastic evening with @cwowomen last night. A great opportunity to meet some of our party’s best and brightest to discuss leadership and the future. I will bring the experience, the skills and the strong leadership we need to deliver change and rebuild trust. pic.twitter.com/u1WiemaI5T
A Labour MP said she could not vote for the Government’s decision to scrap winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners as Sir Keir Starmer faces another potential rebellion.  
Rachael Maskell urged the Government to rethink the policy and to bring forward mitigating measures to help protect vulnerable elderly people who currently will be just above the threshold for support. 
Downing Street is set to call a vote on the controversial policy for next Tuesday after Sir Keir bowed to pressure to give MPs a say.
Asked if she could vote for the policy in its current form, Ms Maskell told BBC Newsnight: “I couldn’t vote for this. But I think what we are saying is this is bigger than a vote because this is about protecting people’s lives. 
“I couldn’t vote for this”Labour MP Rachael Maskell says she could not vote with the Government if their plans to remove Winter Fuel Payment from 10 million pensioners remain unchanged.The House of Commons are expected to vote on the policy next Tuesday.#Newsnight pic.twitter.com/odxCkgGCJa
“And ultimately that is our responsibility as MPs, to speak truth to power, and that is all we are doing is to say ‘actually there is some people in danger here that are at risk and we need a government to step in’.” 
Given it is a piece of official Government policy the expectation is that Labour MPs will be told to vote for it, raising the question of disciplinary action if any do choose to rebel. 
Asked if that was a consideration, Ms Maskell said: “This doesn’t come into it for me and many of my colleagues. We are just so concerned, I will do anything to protect life.” 
Sir Keir stripped the whip from seven Labour MPs in July after they rebelled over the two-child benefit cap. 
Winter fuel payments will now be a means-tested benefit rather than universal and only pensioners in receipt of pension credit will be eligible to receive it. Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, scrapped the payments to save money, blaming the state of the public finances. 
Tory MPs will vote for the first time in the Conservative Party leadership contest this afternoon. 
They will vote in secret from 1.30pm until 3pm, with the result announced by Bob Blackman, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, at 3.30pm. 
Today’s task is to reduce the field of six candidates down to five but if there are two candidates who are miles behind the other four then it is possible that two people could be eliminated this afternoon. 
Failing that, there will be a second vote on Monday next week to reduce the field from five to four. 
The four remaining candidates will then make their case to members at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham between Sept 29 and Oct 2. 
Tory MPs will then vote between Oct 9-10 to eliminate two more candidates, leaving a final duo who will face a ballot of Conservative Party members. 
Member voting will close at 5pm on Oct 31 and Rishi Sunak’s replacement will then be announced on Nov 2. 
Nigel Farage said Israel is “running out of friends” after the Government announced on Monday that it was suspending some arms sales to the country. 
Mr Farage also questioned whether Israel was “still really an ally” of the UK. 
The Reform UK leader told GB News: “There’s no doubt that since the 7th October and the barbarity that took place on that day, in terms of Israel’s response, yes, there are up to 40,000 people that have died.
“However, Israel will tell us again and again and again, this is because Hamas effectively use human shields. 
“But I feel all over the world that Israel is running out of friends. And I wonder right now, is Israel still really an ally of this country?”
Tory leadership candidates are yet to spell out how they would see off the threat posed to the Conservative Party by Reform UK, according to Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg. 
The ex-Cabinet minister said Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, Tom Tugendhat, Dame Priti Patel, Mel Stride and James Cleverly had all successfully identified many of the Tories’ recent mistakes. 
But he said they now must set out the “cure” for winning back voters and a plan for dealing with a party which has “pinched our finest clothes”. 
He told GB News: “We clearly have some of the six most brilliant, genius people in the world running for the leadership who have said these amazingly true and thoughtful things. 
“The candidates have been good at identifying the problem. But what is the cure when the party is untrusted and Reform has pinched our finest clothes?”