Elizabeth Truss now favourite to become PM

Norfolk MP Liz Truss is through to the final three candidates vying to lead the Conservative party and become the next prime minister. 

Several polls now have the South West Norfolk MP as the favourite to take the top job, after the latest round of voting by Tory MPs.

Ms Truss, who is also foreign secretary, will join former chancellor Rishi Sunak and trade minister Penny Mordaunt in the final round of votes tomorrow.

The result of the Tuesday’s ballot of Conservative MPs was: 

Rishi Sunak – 118 votes (up 3 on the last round) 

Penny Mordaunt – 92 (up 10) 

Liz Truss – 86 (up 15) 

Kemi Badenoch – 59 (up 1) 

With the fewest votes, equalities minister Kemi Badenoch was eliminated from the competition. 

The last ballot of Conservative MPs is tomorrow, which will whittle the number of candidates down to the final two. 

Those candidates will then fight it out among the party’s membership.

Ms Truss has seen her vote share among fellow Conservative MPs increase throughout the leadership campaign and has become a strong contender for the top job.

In the first round of voting the Norfolk MP had just 50 votes, versus 67 for Ms Mordaunt and 88 for Sunak. 

This means the gap between Ms Truss and her nearest rival has narrowed from 17 to six in a week. 

Polling by the Conservative Homes website and YouGov now puts her as the favourite against both Ms Mordaunt and Mr Sunak in a head-to-head contest among the membership. 

In a poll of Tory members, YouGov has Ms Truss beating Ms Mordaunt 48pc to 42pc. 

Truss would also beat Mr Sunak, with 54pc saying they would vote for her against 35pc who said Mr Sunak.

Conservative Homes’ survey of members has Mr Sunak beating Ms Mordaunt but Ms Truss beating both. 

Its poll said: 

Truss v Sunak 

Rishi Sunak: 42 pc (34 pc July 11) 

Liz Truss: 49 pc (51pc) 

Don’t know: 9 pc (15 pc) 

Truss v Mordaunt 

Penny Mordaunt: 41 pc (51 pc) 

Liz Truss: 48 pc ( 33 pc) 

Don’t know: 11 pc (16pc) 

If Ms Truss succeeds she would be the second Norfolk-based Prime Minister after Robert Walpole in 1721. 

While Mr Walpole was born in Norfolk, Ms Truss was born in Oxfordshire.