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Tom Tugendhat has been knocked out of the Tory leadership race after receiving the least votes from MPs.

It narrows the field down to three, with James Cleverly, Kemi Badenoch, and Robert Jenrick still in the running to replace Rishi Sunak.

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Mr Cleverly overtook Mr Jenrick to come out on top with 39 of his colleagues backing him in today’s vote.

Mr Jenrick followed with 31 votes, then 30 for Ms Badenoch, and 20 for Mr Tugendhat.

A further vote by MPs on Wednesday will reduce the field to a final two, who will then go to a ballot of Tory members next month.

Mr Tugendhat thanked those who backed him in a post on X, adding: “Your energy, your ideas and your support have shown a vision of what our party could become.

“Our campaign has ended but our commitment to our country continues.”

(left to right) Tory leadership candidates Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch singing the national anthem during the Conservative Party Conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Picture date: Wednesday October 2, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Tories. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
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Left to right: Tory leadership candidates Tom Tugendhat, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch

Mr Tugendhat served as security minister under Mr Sunak’s premiership and before becoming an MP was a member of the armed forces – a fact he has honed in on to pitch himself as the candidate of public service.

Seen as being from the moderate, centrist wing of the party, he was equal third with former home secretary Mr Cleverly in the last round of voting, when Mel Stride was knocked out.

Mr Cleverly saw a surge in support after the Conservative Party conference last week, when he gave a well-received speech urging party members to be “more normal” and “sell Conservatism with a smile”.

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In a post on social media after the vote, he said he was “grateful” to his colleagues who backed him and “pleased to be through to the next round”.

He added: “The job’s not finished. I’m excited to keep spreading our positive Conservative message.”

Mr Cleverly is likely to make the final round as the “One Nation” wing’s candidate, while Mr Jenrick and Ms Badenoch are seen as battling for the support of the right of the party.

Conservative Party leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat delivers a speech during the Conservative Party Conference at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Picture date: Wednesday October 2, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Tories. Photo credit should read: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
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Conservative Party leadership candidate Tom Tugendhat. Pic:PA

They were previously considered to be the frontrunners, coming in first and second place respectively in the earlier two rounds of voting.

They both faced criticism for comments they made during the party conference – Mr Jenrick for claiming the SAS is being forced to kill rather than capture terrorists because the “European Court will set them free”, something many of his colleagues disputed.

Meanwhile, former business secretary Ms Badenoch was forced to backtrack over comments she made about “excessive” maternity pay and civil servants being jailed.

A spokesperson for her campaign said the party’s right-wing “needs to coalesce around Kemi” given the fall in Mr Jenrick’s support, adding she “can reach across and unify the party, has the star quality to cut through in opposition, and is indisputably the members’ choice for leader”.

Mr Jenrick’s campaign said the former immigration minister, who wants to leave the European Convention on Human Rights, was “in prime position to make the final two”.

A source said: “MPs want seriousness and competence. That’s why he’s won support from across the party so far – from Danny Kruger on the right to Vicky Atkins on the left.”

Polling suggests the Conservative membership favours Ms Badenoch over Mr Jenrick and Mr Cleverly, but that the gap has narrowed since the party conference.

Whoever wins on 2 November, when the final result is declared, they face the task of rebuilding the party after their worst-ever general election defeat put them in opposition for the first time in 14 years.

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No job for Tom Tugendhat in Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet as Chris Philp appointed shadow home secretary

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No job for Tom Tugendhat in Kemi Badenoch's shadow cabinet as Chris Philp appointed shadow home secretary

Tom Tugendhat is not serving in Kemi Badenoch’s shadow cabinet, it has been revealed – as the new Tory leader continued her appointments today.

Former Home Office minister Chris Philp has been awarded the job of shadow home secretary, the last of the key posts to be announced.

A Conservative source told Sky News Mr Tugendhat was offered a job and turned it down.

Unveiling a host of appointments today, Ms Badenoch, who was elected leader of the Conservative Party last weekend, confirmed that Ed Argar would be the shadow health secretary, while James Cartlidge will take on the role of shadow defence secretary.

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Former business minister Kevin Hollinrake will shadow Angela Rayner on the housing brief, while Victoria Atkins will take on the role of shadow environment secretary.

Claire Coutinho, who was the energy secretary under Rishi Sunak, will continue in the opposition version of the role.

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Helen Whately has been appointed shadow work and pensions secretary and Andrew Griffith, the former economic secretary to the Treasury, is the new shadow business and trade secretary.

Ms Badenoch, who became Conservative leader on Saturday, started officially appointing her shadow cabinet on Sunday evening.

Yesterday Dame Priti Patel made a comeback to frontline politics after the new Conservative leader appointed her as shadow foreign secretary.

Former shadow work and pensions secretary Mel Stride, who ran in the Tory leadership race and is considered more of a moderate than Ms Badenoch, was also made shadow chancellor.

The move has been interpreted as Ms Badenoch making an effort to unite the party following its bruising election defeat, which saw it reduced to just 121 seats.

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Badenoch: ‘It is time to renew’

Robert Jenrick, who lost out to Ms Badenoch in the Tory leadership race, is the new shadow justice secretary, while Laura Trott, who previously served as chief secretary to the Treasury, was appointed shadow education secretary.

Now the Conservatives are in opposition, the shadow cabinet’s role is to scrutinise the policies and actions of the government and offer alternative policies.

Other roles that have been confirmed today include Stuart Andrew as shadow culture secretary, Gareth Bacon as shadow transport secretary, Andrew Bowie as shadow Scotland secretary, Alex Burghart as shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Mims Davies as shadow Wales secretary and shadow minister for women.

Former transport minister Jesse Norman has been appointed as shadow leader of the Commons while Richard Fuller is the new shadow chief secretary to the Treasury and Alan Mak is the new shadow science secretary.

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University tuition fee rise branded ‘morally wrong’

During the Conservative Party leadership race, Ms Badenoch suggested that all six MPs who ran against her for the top job – Mr Jenrick, Mr Tugendhat, Mr Stride, Ms Patel and James Cleverly – would be offered a job in her shadow cabinet.

Mr Cleverly, who came third in the leadership race, said on Friday he would not be joining Ms Badenoch’s top team.

It is understood Ms Badenoch will appoint the remainder of the team later in the week and on a rolling basis.

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Meet the pro-crypto contenders who could replace SEC chief Gary Gensler

There are several new candidates who could potentially become the next chair of the SEC.

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University tuition fee rise branded ‘morally wrong’ – as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defends increase

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University tuition fee rise branded 'morally wrong' - as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson defends increase

The education secretary has said no decision has been made on whether university tuition fees will increase with inflation each year.

Bridget Phillipson has announced the maximum cap on tuition fees in England will go up in line with inflation from April 2025.

The cost of tuition will increase by £285 to £9,535 next year – the first rise in eight years.

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There will also be a rise in maximum maintenance loans to increase in line with inflation, giving an increase of £414 a year to help students with living costs.

However, the education secretary did not say if the rise would continue after that.

Speaking to Sky News’ Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge, Ms Phillipson admitted she did not know what would happen with tuition fees after April 2026.

“We’re going to look at this and the maintenance support and the sector overall as part of the reform that we intend to set out in the months to come,” she said.

“So no decision, no decision has been taken on what happens beyond this.”

She said the government will be looking at “what is required… to get our universities on a more sustainable footing… but also to deliver a better deal for students as a part of that”.

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University tuition fees to increase

The minister said she also “intends to look at” uprating the threshold at which students need to start paying tuition fees back in line with inflation.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), said the tuition fee rise was “economically and morally wrong”.

She said: “Taking more money from debt-ridden students and handing it to overpaid underperforming vice-chancellors is ill conceived and won’t come close to addressing the sector’s core issues.”

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The National Union of Students (NUS) said students were being asked to “foot the bill” to keep the lights and heating on in their universities and to prevent their courses from closing down amid the “crisis”.

Alex Stanley, vice president for higher education of the NUS, said: “This is, and can only ever be, a sticking plaster.

“Universities cannot continue to be funded by an ever-increasing burden of debt on students.”

Universities have been making up for fees being frozen since 2017/18 by taking in international students who pay more.

However, student visa numbers have fallen after the previous government made it more difficult for them to come to the UK recently, so universities can no longer rely on the fees.

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