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As it happenedended

Tory leadership election: Boris Johnson wins first round by landslide as McVey, Leadsom and Harper all exit contest

Follow the latest updates from Westminster, as they happened

Lizzy Buchan
Political Correspondent
,Samuel Osborne
Thursday 13 June 2019 12:10 EDT
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Conservative leadership bid: Results of first ballot

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Boris Johnson has emerged as the clear frontrunner in the first round of votes for the new Tory leader and prime minister.

The former foreign secretary won 114 votes, followed by Jeremy Hunt on 43 and Michael Gove with 37.

Andrea Leadsom, Mark Harper and Esther McVey failed to win enough votes, meaning they have all been knocked out of the Conservative leadership race.

To follow events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below

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Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 11:04

Labour MP Jess Phillips has launched an attack on Boris Johnson on Twitter: "I pass Boris Johnson in the corridors a lot. He shuffles uncomfortably and looks at the ground.

"On one occasion before the Tory conference in Birmingham, I said to him that I hope the Muslim women in my city show him how welcome he is there. Again he shuffled uncomfortably," she claimed.

"He does not defend his position, he looks like a chastened child when ever I see him. He's being told to say these things by a racist machine and believe me when I say that he is no big beast he can't even take me looking at him in the eye. He's a bullies patsy with no guts.

"I do not fear him as an opponent to be honest I pity him, because he doesn't passionately believe in anything and his authenticity rubs off with even the slightest brushing. He's a hollow icon who cannot even defend his words."

She added: "If you think I'm being harsh on BJ you don't have any Muslim women friends or family because mine have all been messaging me sadly this morning frightened for their country." 

Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 11:13
Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 11:23

Downing Street said there was only a "limited number" of places available for ministers at the state banquet for Donald Trump, after Sajid Javid said it was "odd" he was excluded.

The prime minister's official spokesman said a "large number" of ministers had expressed a wish to attend but were unable to do so.

"This was a state banquet hosted by Her Majesty the Queen so I don't think it is appropriate to discuss in public who did or did not ask to attend," the prime minister's official spokesman said.

"As with any state banquet only a limited number of places are available to the government. A large number of ministers who expressed a wish to attend were not able to do so."

Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 11:37

Philip Hammond, the chancellor, refused to say who he had voted for.

Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 11:44

The first round of voting for the future Tory leader has now closed.

Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 12:00

MP Peter Bone, a teller for the ballot, said: "Turn out was close enough to 100 per cent."

Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 12:04

Downing Street rejected a claim by former Tory Party chairman Baroness Warsi that Sajid Javid's exclusion from the state banquet was linked to his Muslim background.

The prime minister's official spokesman said: "Categorically untrue. The prime minister is proud to have appointed Sajid Javid as the country's first Muslim home secretary."

Lady Warsi tweeted: "To use my own phrase from 2011 'Islamophobia has passed the dinner table test."'

Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 12:12

Here's more on Jess Phillips' comments from earlier, in which claimed Boris Johnson "shuffles uncomfortably and looks at the ground" whenever she sees him.  

Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 12:23

Ashley Cowburn has more on Sir Oliver Letwin's comments earlier. Sir Oliver warned MPs have run out of possibilities to block a future prime minister from pursuing a no-deal Brexit.

Samuel Osborne13 June 2019 12:38

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