Tom Tugendhat and Kemi Badenoch have both fought impressive campaigns. They were both relatively unknown before the contest and they’ve significantly enhanced their reputations. But they are both so far behind it would take a miracle for either of them to reach the magic 120 votes needed to enter the final run-off where members pick the leader from two chosen by MPs (Badenoch needs 71, and Tugendhat 88 – when there are at best just 27 of Braverman’s former supporters going begging).
They are both so far behind it would take a miracle for them to reach the magic 120 votes needed to enter the final run-off
Given that the electorate is 358 MPs who already know them, they would need to have self-belief beyond what is psychologically healthy to think that their relative performances in the TV hustings could launch a bandwagon that would carry them to No. 10. It is possible that one of Sunak, Mordaunt or Truss could totally implode.
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