Former Brexit Minister Dominic Raab has been eliminated from the race to become the next leader of the Conservative party.

He was the only one not to reach the minimum threshold of 33 votes during the second-round ballot of MPs.

Tonight's result meant Kent MPs Rehman Chishti, Helen Grant and Gareth Johnson would have to find another candidate to support.

WATCH: Analysis of the latest round of voting in the Tory leadership race

But just over an hour after the votes were announced Mr Chishti declared he will now be supporting odds-on favourite Boris Johnson.

He tweeted: "Delighted to support @BorisJohnson for leader of our party and future PM.

"I have worked with Boris over many years covering many issues."

Mr Johnson came top of today's ballot despite facing criticism about his failure to appear at various hustings and the first televised debate on Channel 4.

However, he received a boost when two more Kent MPs said they would support him.

Ashford MP Damian Green and Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch previously both backed Matt Hancock, who withdrew from the contest.

The votes for each candidate was:

• Boris Johnson - 126

• Jeremy Hunt - 46
• Michael Gove - 41
• Rory Stewart - 37
• Sajid Javid - 33
• Dominic Raab - 30 (eliminated)

Speaking before tonight's vote, Mr Green said: "This country needs unifying and healing, and the Conservative Party needs to show how it is comfortable with modern Britain. With his record as Mayor of London, Boris has shown the way to do this."

Tracey Crouch said she had sought assurances that Mr Johnson would not resurrect his plans for an airport - dubbed 'Boris Island', similar to the assurances given to Rochester and Strood MP Kelly Tolhurst.

Under the party’s rules for electing a new leader, candidates who fail to get 33 votes in the second round are eliminated.

There will now be a further ballot tomorrow and the elimination rounds will continue until just two are left.

Jeremy Hunt, who in the first round came second with 43 votes, and Michael Gove, who was third with 37, were expected to go through.

The rising popularity of Rory Stewart, considered an outsider at the start of the race, was thought likely to make his way to the next round.

Once the MPs have decided who the final pair are, there will be a vote of all paid-up party members with a final result due in late July.

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