Robert Jenrick boost as 25 ex-MPs back him - Red Wallers and a former Chancellor

Tory leadership frontrunner Robert Jenrick has received another boost this morning, as 25 former MPs come out to back him and argue he is the man to take them back into power.

The list includes a former Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, Brexit legend Sir Bill Cash, and a swathe of Express readers’ favourites, including Red Wall MPs Andrea Jenkyns, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Marco Longhi.

The more-than-two-dozen strong list of former parliamentarians gives Mr Jenrick further momentum as the four remaining leadership candidates head into this afternoon’s third knock-out vote.

Sitting Tory MPs will vote to eliminate one of the four before the contenders are whittled down to a final two in a further vote tomorrow.

Mr Jenrick is widely expected to retain his position as the candidate with the most parliamentary support, having won the previous round by by 33 MPs to Kemi Badenoch’s 28.

Other names among the former parliamentarians backing Mr Jenrick include a number of MPs elected in 2019 only to lose their seats in July, including Ruth Edwards, Simon Baynes, Antony Higginbotham, Jane Hunt, Darren Henry, Sarah Atherton and Hartlepool by-election victor Jill Mortimer.

Veteran MPs on the list of supporters include Bill Wiggin, Amanda Solloway, Ian Liddell-Granger and former whip Sir Mark Spencer.

Reacting to the new boost in support, Mr Jenrick told The Express: “It’s great to have the support of so many former colleagues from across the country and all wings of the party.

“If we are to rebuild trust with the public our party needs to listen to the country and change. I can unite the party around the serious answers to the big challenges facing the country.”

Tomorrow’s vote is largely unpredictable, after both Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly drew in third place in the last round with 21 votes each.

Both candidates received last-minute boosts yesterday, with former West Midlands Metro Mayor Andy Street backing Mr Tugendhat, and shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride coming out for Mr Cleverly.

A source close to Mr Cleverly said the campaign was “confident but not complacent” and was working hard to turn his party conference success into votes.

Meanwhile a campaign source for Mr Tugendhat insisted that the race is “definitely still wide open”.

They argued: “Talking to people today, it’s clear there are a lot of people who are still undecided but think Tom is actually the only serious candidate among them - as proven by Andy Street coming out for him.”

A spokesman for Ms Badenoch’s campaign insisted a number of polls show she is the candidate that members want on the final ballot paper.

He said: “The ConHome survey confirms Kemi is the party members’ choice.

“The More in Common focus groups show she is the preferred candidate for the voters that left us in July.

“If Tory MPs want a leader who can cut-through in opposition and take the fight to Labour they must vote for Kemi this week - it’s what our members want.”

Yesterday Mr Jenrick made a powerful intervention during David Lammy’s statement to the Commons on the Chagos Islands, blasting the foreign secretary for acting in a way so he can “feel good about himself at his next North London dinner party.”

He fumed: “Who does he think he serves? Those of the global diplomatic elite, or those of the British people and our national interest?”

The full list of ex-MPs backing Mr Jenrick is:

1. Amanda Solloway
2. Antony Higginbotham
3. Bill Wiggin
4. Brendan Clarke Smith
5. Dame Andrea Jenkyns
6. Darren Henry
7. Henry Bellingham
8. Ian Liddell-Granger
9. Jack Brereton
10. James Grundy
11. Jane Hunt
12. Jane Stevenson
13. Jill Mortimer
14. Jonathan Djanogly
15. Jonathan Gullis
16. Luke Hall
17. Marco Longhi
18. Nadhim Zahawi
19. Ruth Edwards
20. Sarah Atherton
21. Simon Baynes
22. Sir Bill Cash
23. Sir Mark Spencer
24. Sir Michael Fabricant
25. Tom Hunt