It's Jenrick V Badenoch

Favourite Cleverly's shock exit as Tory right-wingers vie for top job

- DAVE BURKE

TORY leadership favourite James Cleverly was dramatically dumped out of the race to succeed Rishi Sunak yesterday.

The former Home Secretary had been the front-runner, but Conservative MPs rallied around Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick instead.

There were gasps as Bob Blackman, who chairs the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, revealed the final two.

The decision to put the most rightwing candidates in front of members who previously inflicted Liz Truss on the nation was branded a gift to Labour.