Summary

  • Tom Tugendhat has been knocked out of the Tory leadership race

  • He came last in the latest round of voting by Conservative MPs

  • Four go through to the next round - Rishi Sunak, who topped the poll, Penny Mordaunt, Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch

  • By Wednesday we'll be left with just two candidates - then Conservative Party members will decide the winner

  • Meanwhile, the government won a vote of confidence in itself by 349 votes to 238, putting to bed the prospect of an early general election

  • During the confidence debate, Boris Johnson celebrated delivering Brexit and attacked the Labour party for trying 48 times to "overturn the will of the people"

  • Labour leader Keir Starmer asked why Conservatives are leaving Johnson "with his hands on the levers of power for eight weeks"

  1. What happens next in the leadership race?published at 19:48 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    In the next few moments one of the five remaining leadership candidates will be knocked out of the race.

    Tory MPs have been voting on their preferred candidate, and whoever gets the fewest votes will be out.

    Bar anyone dropping out, similar votes will happen on Tuesday and Wednesday, until there are only two candidates left.

    At that point, all Conservative Party members will be able to vote to pick the winner and next prime minister.

    A graphic showing how a Conservative Party leader is elected, with successive rounds of voting by MPs until two candidates remain. At that point there's a vote among the wider party to pick the winnerImage source, .
  2. Johnson shouldn't squat in Downing St any longer - Labour's Eaglepublished at 19:35 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    The debate on Boris Johnson’s record is continuing, with MPs set to vote later tonight on a confidence motion in the government, tabled unusually by the Conservatives themselves. They had rejected a Labour no-confidence motion.

    Labour's Dame Angela Eagle said it was not in the country’s interest to allow Boris Johnson to "squat" in Downing Street for one day longer.

    "He's a security risk, having admitted to attending KGB agent Alexander Lebedev's Italian villa alone, en route home from a Nato summit," she told the Commons.

    Earlier this month Johnson admitted to MPs that he had met Russian oligarch and ex-KGB officer Alexander Lebedev without officials present. Johnson was foreign secretary at the time.

    Other MPs have also raised concerns about that meeting, demanding clarification on it.

    Lebedev, a billionaire, previously owned the Evening Standard and as London mayor Johnson socialised with his son Evgeny, the current owner.

    In 2020 Evgeny was given a peerage in the House of Lords. He has denied posing any "security risk" to the UK.

    The KGB was the USSR's main spy organisation, and Vladimir Putin was also a KGB officer.

  3. Boris Johnson’s parliamentary swansongpublished at 19:31 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Chris Mason
    Political editor

    Two bits of parliamentary theatre are playing out tonight.

    Firstly, and most importantly, Conservative MPs have just finished voting again in the third round of the party leadership contest.

    And, in the Commons, the start of Boris Johnson’s parliamentary swansong.

    Technically it is a vote of confidence — but it was requested by the government and they will win, because Conservative MPs are, overwhelmingly, relaxed about Johnson remaining PM until a successor is elected.

    So the vote and what the debate is called are red herrings.

    It matters because it provides a platform for a discussion about Boris Johnson’s legacy — his successes and failures.

  4. Watch: PM defends government record in confidence debatepublished at 19:24 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Media caption,

    Johnson defends government record in confidence debate

    Boris Johnson says he has "no idea" why the Labour leader “insisted” in holding a confidence motion in the government.

  5. MPs expect volatility in latest Tory leadership votepublished at 18:44 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Ione Wells
    Political correspondent

    As expected, in the corridors here in the Commons, Rishi Sunak’s supporters aren't expecting to gain many of - previously eliminated - candidate Suella Braverman's votes.

    One MP said they thought there could be a lot of "volatility" in tonight's vote breakdown for all camps, as people start to also think tactically about who they want to keep out, as well as who they want to keep in.

  6. Checking off Tory MPs as they cast their vote in leadership ballotpublished at 18:37 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Ione Wells
    Political Correspondent

    Outside the room where Tory MPs are voting is a gaggle of "tellers" - MPs who support each of the candidates with check lists of all their fellow Tory MPs.

    As MPs go in to vote, these tellers tick off that they've voted (it's a secret ballot, so who they voted for is secret - though many have declared their allegiances publicly).

    The idea is that if any of the tellers notice some of their candidates' supporters haven't turned out to vote, they can chase them nearer the deadline to get their skates on.

    One of them shows me their "photo book" - which includes a photo of every Tory MP and their name, in case they go blank and forget one of their colleagues' names when one walks past.

    It happens to the best of us!

  7. Davey: Tories totally out of touch on cost of living crisispublished at 18:31 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey attacks the Conservatives for "plunging the country" into a series of crises, including on the cost of living.

    He says: "The Conservative Party opposite is totally out of with the financial and healthcare catastrophes facing millions of British families and pensioners later this year."

  8. 'Creeping culture of corruption' in No 10, says Hodgepublished at 18:27 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Labour Commons veteran Dame Margaret Hodge savages Johnson's record, which she says has left "a creeping culture of corruption" at the heart of the government.

    The former chairwoman of Westminster's Public Account Committee reels off a litany of alleged offences, including "peerages for pals... jobs for mates".

    She says Johnson's time in power has been "a dangerous Trumpian assault on everything we value in our British democracy".

  9. Johnson bullish - but focus now on successorpublished at 18:23 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Susan Hulme
    Parliamentary correspondent

    Boris Johnson is working out his notice as prime minister, probably until September. But Labour says he should go right away, since so many on his own side have lost faith in him.

    Opening the debate himself, Boris Johnson made a bullish, passionate defence of his record - especially on Brexit, and he reminded his party of his election-winning ways.

    There was also a hint of anti-Brexit conspiracy - saying the "rejoiners" and the "revengers" were left plotting and planning and biding their time, and he promised he'd have more to say about the events of the last few weeks and months in due course.

    But the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, said Johnson's delusion was never-ending, and it was a relief Conservatives had finally got rid of him.

    A confidence vote is often a moment of great political drama and peril. A government which loses one faces a general election.

    But Conservative MPs won't be tempted to vote for that - meaning the government is likely to win tonight's vote. But the focus of political attention has shifted - to whoever is Boris Johnson's successor.

  10. Blackford: Leadership candidates have a magic money forestpublished at 18:12 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Blackford attacks Johnson's potential replacements for their tax cut pledges.

    "Never again can the opposite benches claim economic literacy," he says, "because during this leadership campaign the Tory candidates haven't just found a magic money tree, they have apparently found a magic money forest."

  11. Johnson 'shouldn't be allowed to re-write his record' says Blackfordpublished at 18:07 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    SNP leader Ian Blackford says Johnson's record is that he could "never ever be trusted with the truth" and shouldn't get "a long goodbye" so he can fix his record.

    "He shouldn't be allowed to re-write that record and that legacy, even for seven weeks," he says.

  12. Tory leadership candidates told to be civil in debatespublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Nick Eardley
    Political correspondent

    The day after they clashed in ITV's televised debate, it's understood that Tory leadership candidates were summoned by the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers earlier today and reminded to be civil in their debates.

    The five remaining candidates were spoken to in Parliament this afternoon. The backbench committee also sought assurances no candidate would drop out if they reached the final two.

    It comes after a TV debate between the contenders on Sky News scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled after Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss declined to take part. Senior Tories have express concern that angry arguments in public could damage the party.

  13. Starmer warns Johnson 'can't be trusted' as a caretaker PMpublished at 17:51 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Starmer questions why Conservatives are leaving Johnson "with his hands on the levers of power for eight weeks".

    He says: "Eight weeks where the British public must trust the word of a prime minister who's been sacked because he can't be trusted.

    "Eight weeks where Britain will be represented abroad by someone who has lost all respect at home.

    "Eight weeks of a caretaker government led by an utterly careless prime minister."

  14. Starmer criticises Sunak's 'pathetic' commentspublished at 17:48 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Taking aim at Rishi Sunak, former chancellor turned leadership frontrunner, Starmer says he left the UK with the highest tax burden since rationing was in place.

    He says Sunak suggested Johnson cannot tell the public the truth, but this week has apparently changed his mind.

    "Now he's saying the prime minister is a remarkable man with a good heart. Pathetic."

    He adds that there can be no one worst-placed to rebuild the economy than "the man who broke it".

  15. Johnson 'forced out in disgrace' says Starmerpublished at 17:46 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Keir Starmer faces the Conservative benches in the Commons

    Continuing his attack, Starmer says Johnson's resignation speech claim he was the victim of a herd mentality, accusing him of living in a "bunker".

    "He has not been felled by the stampede of an eccentric herd," he says.

    "Instead he has been forced out in disgrace, judged by his colleagues and his peers as unworthy of his position and unfit for his office."

  16. The delusion is never-ending - Starmerpublished at 17:42 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Keir Starmer

    "The delusion is never-ending," says Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer as he gets to his feet to respond to Johnson's statement.

    "What a relief for the country that they finally got round to sacking him," he says.

    The chaos of the last fortnight is familiar, Starmer says, with the third Tory leadership contest in six years.

  17. Conservatives will coalesce in loyalty around new leader - Johnsonpublished at 17:40 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Boris Johnson

    Boris Johnson makes reference to his recent flight in an RAF Typhoon jet, saying he was at the helm for a "glorious period" but crucially handed back the controls – "in a few weeks' time that is exactly what I will do with this great party of ours".

    "After three dynamic and exhilarating years in the cockpit we will find new leader," he says.

    The PM says they will "coalesce in loyalty" around the new leader, which is met with scattered laughter from opposition benches.

  18. Johnson: 'The Champagnski corks will be popping in the Kremlin'published at 17:35 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Johnson claims there are fears his political demise will mean the end of UK support for Ukraine as it fights Russia.

    "The Champagnski corks will be popping in the Kremlin," he says "just as the Islington lefties are toasting each other with their favourite Kir Royale".

  19. Johnson mocks SNP leader Ian Blackfordpublished at 17:29 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Boris Johnson

    Lauding the launch of a space port in Shetland, off the north coast of Scotland, Johnson adds a barb directed at the SNP's Ian Blackford, who has described himself as "a humble crofter" despite his background as an investment banker.

    He says: "Next year the space port in Shetland roars into life as the local crofters - I mean humble crofters, Mr Speaker, almost as humble as the Right Honourable gentleman opposite - have withdrawn their opposition as they can see that it means jobs and growth for their area."

  20. Corbyn: Poverty, inequality, insecurity is Johnson's legacypublished at 17:25 British Summer Time 18 July 2022

    Jeremy Corbyn

    Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn rails against Johnson's record, saying "there are more food banks than branches of McDonald's".

    He says: "He has created poverty, inequality and insecurity - that is his legacy."