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Robert Jenrick is closing in on Kemi Badenoch in the race to become the next Tory leader, a new poll has indicated.
Six weeks ago, YouGov put Ms Badenoch 15 points ahead of Mr Jenrick, with party members backing the former business secretary by 48 per cent compared to Mr Jenrick’s 33 per cent if the two went head-to-head in the final round.
But the latest polling puts Ms Badenoch just four points ahead of the ex-immigration minister.
Some 52 per cent of people backed Ms Badenoch to Mr Jenrick’s 48 per cent if they were to end up in the final two.
The four candidates have been parading themselves in front of party members at their annual conference – attending leadership hustings, Q&A sessions, fringe events, and drinks receptions – in what has been described as a beauty contest to shore up support.
But Ms Badenoch has faced criticism after she suggested maternity pay in the UK is “excessive”.
While she later backtracked, saying “of course” she believes in maternity pay, her rival candidates seized on the remarks, with Mr Jenrick saying the party should be “firmly on the side of parents and working mums”.
The former immigration minister has used the party conference to ramp up his anti-migration rhetoric, on Monday telling a rally on the fringes of the conference that the party must decide to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) “or die”, warning that remaining in the convention means “subjecting our people to dangerous criminals on our streets”.
The latest poll, conducted by YouGov for Sky News, surveyed 802 Tory members between September 21 and 29.
It also shows that James Cleverly would trail behind Mr Jenrick by four points if the two of them made it to the final round.
Some 52 per cent of people backed Mr Jenrick, while 48 per cent backed Mr Cleverly if the two went head-to-head.
When he is up against Ms Badenoch, the gap is slightly wider, the polling shows, with the former business secretary on an eight point lead at 54 per cent backing, while Mr Cleverly would be on 46 per cent.
Mr Tugendhat comes off the worst in the final round, with the polls showing he would lose to both Ms Badenoch and Mr Jenrick by 58 per cent to 42 per cent – a gap of 16 points.
The final two contenders will face a vote of party members next month.
