| Badenoch came top, with 42 of the 120 MP votes available, closely followed by Jenrick with 41. Cleverly (above), who had gained ground between the second and third rounds, received 37 votes, and was thus eliminated. It was a result that shocked Westminster. Cleverly’s reassuring and well-received speech to party members at last month’s conference boosted his support between the second and third rounds, while Badenoch and Jenrick were both perceived to have made gaffes. However, Tory MPs appear to have decided that party members would prefer a more ideological candidate who can turn the page on the past 14 years more convincingly than the former home secretary. “He was very much the continuity candidate. He’s still shadow home secretary, he was home secretary, he was foreign secretary, he was loyal to Boris and Rishi to the very end,” says Peter. The Lib Dems, who took scores of seats off the Conservatives in July’s elections, celebrated the result, believing Cleverly was more likely to win back the moderate voters who switched to them. Given the murky politics that always surround Tory leadership races, rumours immediately began circulating that the Cleverly camp may have tried to “lend” votes to Jenrick, thinking him a more beatable opponent than Badenoch — but had gone too far. Alternatively, Cleverly supporters may have cast their vote for their second choice candidate, assuming he was safe. Peter suggests the outcome – which caused an audible gasp when it was announced – was likely the result of “cock-up, rather than conspiracy”. What Jenrick offers Jenrick, the former immigration minister, was the early frontrunner, with a slick campaign and a smart new image; but before yesterday it had appeared he was losing ground to his rivals. At party conference, Jenrick was ridiculed for the apparently unevidenced claim that British special forces were “killing rather than capturing terrorists” because of “human rights laws”. Throughout the campaign, Jenrick, who is backing Donald Trump in next month’s US election, has espoused what Peter calls “Trump-adjacent” views on migration. “He’s gone quite nativist: he’s been talking about migration and asylum and linking it to crime,” Peter says. Jenrick has also claimed that “English identity” is under threat from migration, and suggested anyone shouting “Allahu Akbar” (God is great) during pro-Palestinian protests should be “immediately arrested”. He is adamant that the UK should leave the European convention on human rights in order to make it easier to deport people, telling Conservative members: “It’s leave or die for our party.” Jenrick is also remembered as the immigration minister who ordered that murals featuring cartoon characters at an asylum seeker reception centre for children be painted over. He went on to resign from the post, claiming the government’s Rwanda policy didn’t go far enough. What Badenoch offers | 