The battle to succeed Boris Johnson is heating up in the U.K., with Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch vying to join Rishi Sunak in the final runoff after a vote on Monday left the race for second wide open.
Conservative Party MPs will vote for a fourth time on Tuesday in the contest to elect Johnson’s successor as party leader and U.K. prime minister, after the latest ballot left Sunak looking almost certain to make the top two. He secured 115 votes — up 14 on last week and just 5 short of the 120 he needs to clinch it.
Less certain is the battle for second. Mordaunt, the former defense secretary, remained second on 82 votes. But the momentum behind her campaign appeared to have stalled as she lost one supporter. Foreign Secretary Truss closed the gap, gaining seven votes for a total of 71. And Badenoch gained nine for a tally of 58. Tom Tugendhat, the most centrist remaining candidate, was eliminated.
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