Rory Stewart has been eliminated from the Conservative Leadership Race after a third round of voting by the party’s MPs on Wednesday.
Mr Stewart, who had been seen as the outsider in the contest, managed to gain significant momentum in the second round of voting, where he nearly doubled his vote from the first round. However, Mr Stewart lost votes on Wednesday, receiving just 27 votes.
Following the results, Rory Stewart tweeted;
I am so moved & inspired by the support I have received over the last few weeks – it has given me a new faith in politics, a new belief in our country. I didn’t get enough MPs to believe today – but they will ? I remain deeply committed to you and to this country. #RoryWalksOn
The hashtag, #RoryWalksOn has started trending in the UK.
Sajid Javid, still in the leadership race, tweeted;
Thank you @RoryStewartUK for the positive impact you have had on this campaign. You’ve injected it with real humility, authenticity, and pragmatism. Like many I look forward to seeing the contribution you will make to our party and the country in the future.
Boris Johnson gained the largest number of votes again in this round of voting, with the results as follows;
- Boris Johnson – 143
- Jeremy Hunt – 54
- Michael Gove – 51
- Sajid Javid – 38
- Rory Stewart – 27
Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Sajid are now eligible for the next round of voting at 10am on Thursday, 20 June.
Photo: 10 Downing Street | Credit: U.S. Embassy London via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)
