Conservative leadership election – live updates: Party begins latest vote after cutting Starmer’s poll lead

Voting is now officially underway in the Conservative Party leadership race, as Tory MPs decide which of the four remaining candidates will be knocked out of the contest today.

The ballot, open for just 90 minutes, will see the field narrowed ahead of Wednesday’s crucial vote.

The remaining contenders, Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat are vying for the support of their parliamentary peers, with the results expected at 3.30pm.

Following the elimination of Mel Stride in the previous round, the competition is intensifying.

The last round’s results saw Mr Jenrick leading with 33 votes, Ms Badenoch close behind at 28, while Mr Cleverly and Mr Tugendhat were tied with 21 each.

Today’s vote will be decisive, as one hopeful will be forced to exit the race, leaving tree to battle for the final two spots ahead of the ballot set for the party’s wider membership.

Sir Keir Starmer’s approval ratings have taken a sharp hit, with nearly 63 per cent of voters holding an unfavourable opinion.

The YouGov survey, conducted from 4-5 October, indicates that just 27 per cent of respondents view the prime minister positively.

This marks a concerning milestone for Sir Keir as it is his lowest approval rating since he took the leadership of the party in 2020.

Among those who identify as Labour supporters, 61 per cent still maintain a favourable view of the PM, wile 34 per cent express dissatisfaction.

While Tories cast their votes, we turn to Westminster, where MPs are debating VAT on private school fees.

The opposition has voiced significant criticism regarding the potential implications of Labour’s plan.

During the debate, shadow foreign minister Alicia Kearns claimed that if a child in a nursery class turns five, all parents in that setting could find themselves liable for VAT on their nursery fees.

Ms Kearns branded the changes as “rushed” and “Ill-conceived”, highlighting the potential consequences of the legislation.

Shadow education secretary Damian Hinds echoed her criticism, pointing out at a “sloppy drafting” of the bill that could tax children who are not yet of school age simply because they share a classroom with their older peers.

Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat are the final candidates for the Tory top spot. Although the race was announced on 5 July, the leader will not be revealed until early November – although two candidates have called for the timeframe to be cut down.

Until then, former prime minister Rishi Sunak retains the position and has refused to be drawn into the ongoing contest so far.

Here’s your guide to the four candidates to be the next Conservative Party leader:

British intelligence is facing a “hell of a job” over rising threats from Iran and Russia, as well as the resurgence of Isis and Al-Qaeda, the head of MI5 has warned.

A day after Sir Keir Starmer called on the international community to focus on the “malign” regime in Iran, which supports proxies across the Middle East including Hamas and Hezbollah, Ken McCallum said British intelligence has thwarted 20 Tehran-backed plots that “presented potentially lethal threats to British citizens” since the start of 2022.

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The race to determine the next Conservative leader continues today, with MPs set to eliminate one of the four remaining contenders.

• Voting opens at 1.30pm and closes at 3pm, with the results expected at 3.30pm.

• Tom Tugendhat is widely tipped to be the next candidate to drop out, leaving Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly, and Kemi Badenoch to battle it out in tomorrow’s round.

• The new party leader will be revealed on 2 November, following a vote by Conservative Party members.

• In other political news, former prime minister Boris Jonson has been defending comments from his memoir Unleashed, where he suggested the public “avidly craved” lockdown restrictions.

• Sir Keir Starmer is under growing pressure to repair his relationship with ethnic minority voters, as polling shows diminishing support from these communities.

• Labour’s lead in the polls has shrunk one point, as internal rows and criticism over free gifts the prime minister accepted continue to dent public perception.

• As the government prepares to unveil its October budget, Sir Keir is under scrutiny over his decision to cut winter fuel payments to pensioners.

Stay tuned for the latest updates and expert analysis throughout the day.

Tory MPs will begin voting at 1.30pm today in the latest stage of the Conservative Party leadership contest.

They will choose between four candidates including Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat. 

The result of this round is expected at 3.30pm, narrowing the field before tomorrow’s crucial vote, which will determine the final two candidates.