The two have been frontrunners from the start but a clear favourite has now emerged (Image: Getty)
James Cleverly’s shock elimination from the Tory leadership contest has blown the future of the Conservative party wide open.
Cleverly became the bookies' favourite after yesterday’s vote ended with the elimination from the contest of Tom Tugendhat and the former Home Secretary looked set to pick up the majority of his 20 votes.
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But in the final round of votes, the former Home Secretary received two votes fewer and was eliminated, leaving Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick to compete for members' votes on November 2.
Mr Jenrick has been the bookmakers’ favourite for the majority of the contest - but ahead of the latest round of voting he had been tipped to be eliminated.
According to Star Sports, Badenoch now sits ahead of her political opponent in the market at 4/9 from 5/2, with Jenrick 7/4 from 11/4. Rishi Sunak’s successor will be confirmed following next month’s ballot of the Conservative party membership.
Cleverly had emerged as the favourite following Conservative party conference and yesterday's voting (Image: Getty)
Kemi Badenoch is now the favourite to be the next Tory leader (Image: Getty)
READ MORE: Farage says Tory 'establishment' will try anything to stop one hopeful winning
William Kedjanyi, Political Betting Analyst at Star Sports, said: “James Cleverly looked to be comfortably heading towards November’s final vote in the Tory leadership race before today’s shock announcement.
“The Shadow Home Secretary’s exit has left the battle to replace Rishi Sunak as the Leader of the Opposition wide open, with Kemi Badenoch our favourite to edge Robert Jenrick.
“Cleverly was odds-on favourite yesterday, and his departure leaves Badenoch, who was well backed this morning as rumours swirled around Westminster, as the new favourite at 4/9 with Jenrick 7/4.”
It is Ms Badenoch who is now the bookies' favourite to succeed Mr Sunak, with bookmakers Paddy Power offering odds of 15/8 on a victory for the former Secretary of State for Business and Trade.
The final round looks set to see the candidates differentiate themselves from the party members on their views on the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Mr Jenrick a former immigration minister who resigned from Mr Sunak’s cabinet complaining that policy was not going far enough, has advocated for leaving the ECHR.
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Jenrick has said he is in favour of leaving the ECHR (Image: Getty)
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During his campaign he has been criticised for claiming without evidence that the court’s actions were encouraging British special forces to kill rather than capture terrorists over fears they would be released.
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If Britain were to leave the court, the UK would become only the third country to do so, following Belarus and Russia’s expulsion. Greece briefly left the convention in 1970 whilst under military rule but returned following the restoration of democracy.
Kemi Badenoch has been more measured in her views on leaving the ECHR, claiming that those advocating to do so are offering “easy answers” on illegal migration.
On launching her leadership campaign, she said: “People throwing out numbers and saying we’ll leave the ECHR are giving easy answers. That’s how we got in this mess in the first place.”