Tom Tugendhat was eliminated from the Conservative party leadership race on Monday night after failing to secure enough votes from MPs.
The former army officer was removed after securing only 31 backers despite giving a widely praised performance during the leadership debates.
The departure of the moderate One Nation Tory means that there only right-wing candidates, although Rishi Sunak, the former chancellor, and Penny Mordaunt will be regarded as more centrist contenders.
Kemi Badenoch increased her support significantly getting to 58 votes and Mr Sunak had 115 backers, which is five short of the 120 needed to get into the final pair.
Ms Mordaunt, who suffered a weekend of media scrutiny and smear stories, lost one vote, going back to 82, but remains in second place.
Liz Truss went from 64 to 71, showing a slight increase but not as big as she had hoped. It could still prove that some of Ms Badenoch's supporters go to her rather than Ms Mordaunt.
The ill-tempered nature of the contest, which has included media leaks, led to the final debate being terminated on Tuesday night.
The candidates' attacks on each other has provided Labour with considerable ammunition and led to the suggestion that the opposition party was the only winner.
Ms Badenoch, who was educated in Nigeria until she was 16, had the biggest boost in support with an 18 per cent increase from the second ballot tally of 49.
Mr Sunak had the second largest increase, 14 per cent, followed by Ms Truss with 11 per cent.
Ms Mordaunt lost one vote, possibly to Mr Sunak, but is likely to pick up numbers from Mr Tugendhat's departure.
Fourth-placed Ms Badenoch's continued surge could well see her threaten Ms Truss if she can persuade MPs to enter her camp in the next vote tomorrow.
Mr Tugendhat, 49, was the only candidate not to have served in Boris Johnson’s discredited administration and had presented himself as the “clean slate” candidate.
But the foreign affairs committee chairman has had no experience in government. He served alongside special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2005 and 2009.
But Mr Tugendhat's direct, open style and integrity appealed to a broader audience, which saw him top a Mumsnet poll for the person those surveyed would most like to see as Britain’s prime minister.
His popularity and straightforward approach is likely to lead to a senior post when the next prime minister is announced on September 5.
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Candidates Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss at the Conservative Party leadership election hustings at Wembley Arena, London. This was the final hustings attended by Tory Party members who will vote for the new leader and next prime minister. EPA -
Liz Truss addresses Conservative Party members at Wembley Arena. AP -
Mr Sunak puts forward his case to be leader while speaking at Wembley Arena. Bloomberg -
Mr Sunak visits his family's old business, Bassett Pharmacy in Southampton, while on the campaign trail. Reuters -
Ms Truss speaks to staff at Condimentum Ltd at the Food Enterprise Park in Norwich. Getty Images -
A Rishi Sunak supporter at a hustings event in Norfolk. PA -
Mr Sunak greets people at a leadership hustings in Manchester. Bloomberg -
Ms Truss poses for a selfie with a supporter as she arrives for the event in Manchester. Getty -
Rishi Sunak looks through the sights of an anti-tank missile launcher, supplied to Ukraine, during a visit to the Thales Defence System plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland. AP -
Liz Truss at a Conservative Party leadership campaign event in Belfast. Getty -
Liz Truss meets supporters before a hustings in Perth, Scotland. Getty -
Rishi Sunak speaks during a campaign visit to Cluny Castle in Inverurie, Scotland. Getty -
Police hold back protesters outside Perth Concert Hall, Scotland, where Conservative leadership candidates Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak were speaking. PA -
A mural showing the two leadership contestants appears on a wall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. AP -
Rishi Sunak during a visit to St John's Wood Synagogue, north London. PA -
Liz Truss at the Conservative Party leadership election hustings in Cheltenham. EPA -
Rishi Sunak during a hustings event in Cheltenham. Reuters -
Liz Truss speaks to scientists during a campaign visit to a life sciences laboratory at Alderley Park in Manchester. PA -
Rishi Sunak during a campaign hustings in Darlington, England. Bloomberg -
Liz Truss meets party members before she speaks at the Darlington campaign hustings. Getty -
Rishi Sunak arrives for the Darlington hustings. Getty -
Liz Truss plays pool during a visit to the Onside Future Youth Zone in London. Reuters -
Rishi Sunak looks at a book with Teddy Openshaw, 4, as his father, Henry, looks on after a Conservative leadership campaign event in Ribble Valley, Lancashire, England. Getty -
Liz Truss plays table tennis with former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith during a visit to the Onside Future Youth Zone in London. Reuters -
Liz Truss with supporters at a campaign event in Solihull, England. Reuters -
Rishi Sunak attends a campaign event held by his party in Bexhill, England. Reuters -
A protester is removed as Ms Truss speaks during the Conservative Party leadership hustings in Eastbourne. Bloomberg -
Mr Sunak speaks at an event in Edinburgh. PA -
Ms Truss leaves the hall in Exeter, south-west England, after her speech to a Conservative Party membership hustings. Getty -
Mr Sunak speaks at the University of Exeter in south-west England. AP -
A supporter of Ms Truss at a Conservative Party hustings in Exeter, south-west England. Getty -
Ms Truss at a hustings event at the Pavilion conference centre at Elland Road in Leeds. PA -
Mr Sunak in Salisbury watching a screening of the Uefa Women's Euro 2022 final between England and Germany at Wembley stadium. England won 2-1 in extra time. PA -
Ms Truss before the Uefa Women's Euro 2022 final at Wembley stadium in London. AFP -
Mr Sunak meets Tory members at Fontwell Park Racecourse. Reuters -
Ms Truss at an event in Dereham, Norfolk. AFP -
Mr Sunak in Ropley, near Winchester, Hampshire. PA -
Ms Truss speaks as Conservative Member of Parliament Tom Tugendhat looks on at a Conservative Party leadership campaign event at Biggin Hill Airport. Getty -
Ms Truss on the campaign trail in Woodford Green, on the outskirts of London. Reuters -
Mr Sunak at a Conservative Party hustings event in Leeds. AFP -
Ms Truss speaks at the hustings event in Leeds. AFP -
Sunak and Truss-themed souvenirs at a stand during the Leeds hustings event. Reuters -
Ms Truss, and her mother, Patricia, arrive for the hustings event. Getty -
Ms Truss poses with supporters in Morley, England. Getty -
Mr Sunak delivers a speech during a campaign event in Newmarket. AFP -
Ms Truss and Jake Berry, MP for Rossendale and Darwen, during a visit to a broadband interchange company in Leeds. PA -
Mr Sunak answers questions as he takes part in the hustings in Leeds. AFP -
Ms Truss speaks at an event at a private house with members of the Conservative Party in Woodford Green. PA -
Ms Truss and Mr Sunak pose for a picture before a BBC leadership debate at Victoria Hall in Hanley. Getty -
Ms Truss addresses Mr Sunak during the televised debate. Getty -
Mr Sunak, with daughters Krishna and Anushka, and wife Akshata Murthy, during a visit to Vaculug tyre specialists at Gonerby Hill Foot, Grantham. PA -
Ms Truss speaks to people while campaigning in Marden. Getty -
Ms Truss celebrates after being named, along with Mr Sunak, one of the final two candidates in the race to become the UK's next prime minister. PA -
Mr Sunak outside his campaign office in central London. EPA -
Ms Truss outside Downing Street in London. Reuters -
Rishi Sunak meets Conservative Party members and activists, in Teesport, Redcar. Reuters -
Conservative leadership candidates Mr Sunak, Ms Truss, Kemi Badenoch, presenter Julie Etchingham, Tom Tugendhat and Penny Mordaunt during 'Britain's Next Prime Minister: The ITV Debate' in London. EPA -
Ms Badenoch arrives at Here East studios in Stratford, east London, before a live television debate. PA -
Mr Sunak arrives at a London event to launch his campaign to be the next Conservative Party leader and UK prime minister. Reuters -
Mr Tugendhat appears on the BBC One current affairs programme, 'Sunday Morning'. PA -
Ms Badenoch, Ms Mordaunt, Mr Sunak, Ms Truss and Mr Tugendhat before the live television debate. PA -
Ms Mordaunt arrives for the launch of her Conservative leadership campaign at the Cinnamon Club in Westminster. PA -
Ms Truss speaks at the launch event for her campaign to become the next leader of the Tory Party and Britain's prime minister, in London. EPA -
Chancellor of the Exchequer Nadhim Zahawi, one of the candidates who has been knocked out of the race, giving a speech at the Churchill War Rooms. PA -
Former leadership candidate Jeremy Hunt appearing on the BBC One current affairs programme, 'Sunday Morning'. PA -
Sajid Javid attending the launch of his campaign to be Conservative Party leader and prime minister, at the Cinnamon Club in London. He has since been knocked out of the contest. PA -
Rehman Chishti is interviewed after announcing his bid to become the next prime minister. Mr Chishti is no longer in the race. Getty -
Mr Tugendhat speaking at the launch of his campaign. PA -
Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith arrive for the Truss campaign launch event. Getty -
Former leadership candidate Attorney General Suella Braverman at the Churchill War Rooms in central London. PA -
Supporters of Mr Sunak wait for his arrival ahead of the campaign launch. Bloomberg -
Mr Tugendhat makes a speech at the launch of his campaign. PA -
Mr Javid mops his brow while launching his campaign. Getty -
Ms Truss leaves for work after her announcement that she would be running for the leadership of the Conservative Party. Getty
The votes came after an afternoon on the hustings in Westminster in which candidates pitched their policies to fellow Conservative MPs to win their votes.
Mr Tugendhat admitted earlier on Monday that he was likely to be eliminated but did not want to drop out so the contest would run to Wednesday, putting the remaining candidates under further scrutiny.
After his elimination he tweeted: “I have been overwhelmed by the response we have received across the country.
"People are ready for a clean start and our party must deliver on it and put trust back into politics.”
It remains unclear if he will come out in favour of a particular candidate, but it is thought that most of his 31 votes — one less than his tally last Thursday — will go to Ms Mordaunt, who is a Royal Navy reservist.
That could yet give her the impetus to gain the 120 votes to get her through to the final two spots, from which the leader will be chosen by the estimated 200,000 Conservative membership after six weeks of hustings.
The next MPs’ ballot will take place at 3pm on Tuesday, followed by the final one on Wednesday afternoon.
Later on Monday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government won a confidence vote in the House of Commons after a bad-tempered, five-hour debate.
Mr Johnson is now expected to continue in his role for the next seven weeks until a new Conservative party leader is chosen to replace him.
MPs voted 349 to 238 to support the motion stating that the Commons had confidence in the government.
Mr Johnson used his opening speech to run through what he perceived to be his greatest successes in office as he averted calls for him to resign immediately rather than wait until September 5.
He spoke at length amid heckling from the Opposition benches about Brexit, support for Ukraine and his handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Johnson also told MPs that he would have “more to say” about the events surrounding his downfall “in due course”.
