Robert Jenrick is now the front runner to become leader of the Conservative Party.

Robert Jenrick is now the front runner to become leader of the Conservative Party.

Today, 121 Tory MPs cast their votes in the opening round of Conservative leadership voting, reducing the number of candidates from six to five.

At this first hurdle Mr Jenrick secured 28 votes, with his closest rivals, Kemi Badenoch receiving 22 votes and James Cleverly receiving 21 votes.

The Newark MP has spent the past two months touring the country to drum up support for his leadership bid, and was among the first MPs to announce they would be running to become leader of the Conservatives.

Former Home Secretary Priti Patel was the first candidate to be dumped out of the race, receiving just 14 votes.

The number of candidates is expected to be reduced to four before the start of the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on September 29.

A hustings will then follow and MPs will vote to narrow the field down to a final two.

A decision of who will become leader will then be made by party members, with the winner announced on November 2.

The five remaining candidates and the number of votes they received, are; Robert Jenrick (28), Kemi Badenoch (22) James Cleverly (21), Tom Tugendhat (17), and Mel Stride (16).