Priti Patel kicked out of Tory leadership race after first vote
Tory leadership candidate Dame Priti Patel has been kicked out of the race after the first vote by party MPs.
The former home secretary was running to replace Rishi Sunak against five other candidates, but fell at the first hurdle by coming in last place in the ballot.
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Ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick topped the poll with 28 votes, followed by the widely reported favourite Kemi Badenoch on 22.
Another former home secretary, James Cleverly, received 21 votes, ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat won over 17, and the last work and pensions secretary Mel Stride gained 16.
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A total of 118 votes were cast, meaning three Tory MPs didn’t have their say – with Sky News understanding one of those was Mr Sunak.
But there is still a way to go before the new leader of the opposition is crowned.
A further round of voting will take place next Monday to get the ballot down to four, and they will then face an onstage hustings during the Conservative Party conference at the end of the month.
After another vote by MPs, the wider party membership will then choose their leader from the last two standing, with the result expected to be announced on 2 November.
Robert Jenrick topped the poll of Tory MPs with 28 backers. Pic: PA
Posting on X after the result was confirmed, Ms Badenoch thanked her supporters, adding: “It’s time to deal with hard truths today, rather than big problems tomorrow.
“I look forward to making the case for renewal around the country, with colleagues and members.”
In his statement, Mr Tugendhat paid tribute to his “friend Priti” and the “good Conservatives” he is competing against.
But, he added: “Only I can deliver the Conservative revolution that our party and our nation need.
“I will lead in opposition as I would as prime minister, by serving the British people, leading with conviction, and acting to make our nation better. That is my promise, and I always deliver on my promises.”
The result was announced by chairman of the 1922 Committee Bob Blackman (centre). Pic: PA
Dame Priti has been a Tory MP since 2010 and had the most experience of the candidates on the ballot.
She became a key torchbearer for the right when she served as home secretary under Boris Johnson, before being somewhat eclipsed by his successor, Suella Braverman.
But she had positioned herself as a unity candidate in this race, arguing the party should not let “a soap opera of finger-pointing and self-indulgence” distract from the goal of winning the next election.
Commenting on the contest, a Labour party spokesperson said: “The Tories have successfully slimmed down the pool of contenders from six people who each played their hand in 14 years of chaos and decline, to five people who each played their hand in 14 years of chaos and decline.
“From what we have seen so far, not one of them is prepared to learn from the lessons of the past.”
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Emmanuel Macron has said France will recognise Palestine as a state later this year.
The French president announced the major change of policy in a letter to the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, which Mr Macron also published online on Thursday evening.
The French leader said he will make the formal announcement at the UN General Assembly, being held in September.
France will become the first G7 member to recognise a Palestinian state.
In his post explaining the decision, Mr Macron called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the release of the hostages and for much more humanitarian aid to reach those in the territory.
But Israel’s defence minister has called the French decision “a disgrace and a surrender to terrorism”.
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Sky’s international correspondent John Sparks, reports on the children in Gaza who are experiencing malnutrition, one child wishes for ‘life to go back to how it was.’
The move heaps pressure on France’s allies such as the UK, and Sir Keir Starmer insisted tonight that he is “clear that statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people”.
But the prime minister has resisted calls from within his own party to recognise Palestine immediately, as he views this as part of the peace process in Gaza.
Currently, half of the G20 recognise Palestine as a state, while nations including the UK, US, Germany and others do not.
But pressure has been growing on Sir Keir to change course, with senior Labour figures including the Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan publicly calling for a change in government policy.
Starmer: ‘We are witnessing a humanitarian catastrophe’
Just hours before Mr Macron’s announcement, Sir Keir said he would be holding an “emergency call” with the leaders of France and Germany over what he termed the “humanitarian catastrophe” happening in Gaza.
In some of the firmest language from the government yet, Sir Keir said that “the suffering and starvation unfolding in Gaza is unspeakable and indefensible”.
He went on to say that it has been “grave for some time”, but that it has now “reached new depths and continues to worsen”.
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The PM says that
Sir Keir said: “I will hold an emergency call with E3 partners tomorrow, where we will discuss what we can do urgently to stop the killing and get people the food they desperately need while pulling together all the steps necessary to build a lasting peace.”
The PM added that “we all agree” on the need for Israel to “change course and allow aid that is desperately needed to enter Gaza without delay”.
He wrote: “It is hard to see a hopeful future in such dark times. But I must reiterate my call for all sides to engage in good faith, and at pace, to bring about an immediate ceasefire and for Hamas to unconditionally release all hostages.”
Across the globe, more than 140 countries recognise Palestine as a state.
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