Tory leadership: Penny Mordaunt will become next prime minister, Independent readers predict

48 per cent think Penny Mordaunt will win the Conservative party leadership, while 23 per cent voted for Rishi Sunak

Conservative party leadership contender Penny Mordaunt (Victoria Jones/PA) (PA Wire)

Penny Mordaunt will win the Tory leadership race and become the next prime minister, readers of The Independent have predicted.

Ms Mordaunt received 48 per cent of the vote when readers were polled on who would become next Tory leader and Boris Johnson’s successor.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak came second with 23 per cent of the vote. Tom Tugendhat, who readers previously voted the frontrunner from a longer list in a recent reader poll, came third, with 15 per cent of the vote. Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch got eight and six per cent respectively.

A commenter with the name AnOldGoat said: “It’s extraordinary that the Tories are being forced to decide between five such dire candidates.

“Mordaunt will edge out Sunak. It’s not impossible there will be a shock swing and one of them gets enough of a percentage that the other drops out.”

‘Redthistle’ added: “Mordaunt is popular with the membership. Faced with the ultimate choice between Sunak and Mordaunt, they will choose Mordaunt.”

The reader poll took place over the weekend, when the final five contenders took part in two televised debates.

Reader ‘KD1958’ said on Friday: “Based solely on tonight’s C4 head-to-head, Tom Tugendhat, by a clear margin.”

Some readers were disappointed there was not an option to vote “don’t care” this time around. Commenter Finbarr65 wrote: “There should be an option - "Don't Care" [Each] one of them is as bad as the other.”

On Monday, Sky News announced it has cancelled the final televised debate in the Tory leadership contest, after Mr Sunak and Ms Truss pulled out of the event.

The pair were said to be keen to focus instead on the final ballot of Tory MPs on Wednesday, but there are reported to be fears that the previous two debates have inflicted “incredible” damage on the Conservative Party.

Ms Truss and Mr Sunak butted heads on Sunday night in the second televised debate, with the ex-chancellor accusing the foreign secretary of offering “socialist” proposals in her bid for No 10.

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has called the Conservative leadership race “scarily embarrassing”.

The next round of voting will take place tonight, with subsequent rounds if required until two candidates are left, who will then battle it out over the summer to win the support of Conservative members. Their choice of the next prime minister will be announced on September 5.

The reader poll ran from Friday 15 July to Monday 18 July. There were 121 entries. Ms Mordaunt got 58 votes, Mr Sunak 28, Mr Tugendhat 18, Ms Truss 10 and Ms Badenoch seven.

Follow the latest twists and turns via The Independent’s live blog.