More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
While he may have been eliminated from the Tory leadership contest, the Tonbridge and Malling MP Tom Tugendhat may yet have an impact on the final outcome.
While he posted a message on Twitter last night saying that he would not be publicly declaring for any candidate until he had spoken to them, those still in the race have been busy trying to sweet talk his supporters to switch their allegiance.
Today has seen another round of votes which resulted in the elimination of Kemi Badenoch, who was the candidate with the lowest number (59).
In a message thanking his supporters on Twitter, Mr Tugendhat said: “I am not going to be talking about candidates at the moment; I will listen to what they have to say and will we make my judgement later.”
Ashford MP Damian Green, a key ally of Tom Tugendhat, took some time to consider his options but this morning confirmed his support for Penny Mourdant because she offers "a fresh start and a chance to unify the country."
He joins Sir Roger Gale for North Thanet, Dover and Deal MP Natalie Elphicke, Damian Collins, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, along with Gordon Henderson MP for Sittingbourne and Sheppey.
The front-runner in the contest Rishi Sunak, who received 118 votes today, had already bagged the support of two Kent MPs.
Faversham and Mid Kent MP Helen Whately along with Sevenoaks MP Laura Trott declared their support for the former Chancellor early in the campaign.
Rehman Chishti, who tried to launch his own bid to be leader, has also backed Mr Sunak, he said: "After careful consideration and in line with my leadership campaign for aspirational conservatism & a merit-based system, I’m delighted to support Rishi Sunak to deliver for our great country."
Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch said: “I haven’t made a public declaration yet but in this run-off stages I am voting to ensure that we have two finalists who are moderate in their views.”
Other Kent MPs who have not yet declared who they are supporting include
