Priti Patel has been knocked out of the leadership contest to succeed Rishi Sunak after the first vote by party MPS.
The former home secretary was running against five other candidates to become the new leader of the Conservative party but came last in the ballot on Wednesday.
Patel received 14 votes from her colleagues leaving her two behind the fifth-placed candidate Mel Stride.
Ex-immigration minister Robert Jenrick came firmly in first place with 28 votes followed by Kemi Badenoch.
Another former home secretary, James Cleverly, received 21 votes and ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat won over 17.
The decision came as a surprise to many in Westminster who expected Stride to exit the race first.
A further round of voting will take place next Monday to reduce the ballot down to four candidates and then they will face onstage hustings at the Conservative Party conference at the end of the month.
After another round of voting, the wider party membership will elect their leader from the final two candidates, with the result expected to be announced on November 2.
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