JAMES CLEVERLY surged into the lead in the Tory leadership race today, building on an impressive turn as the “normal” candidate at the party conference.

The former foreign and home secretary leapt to first place from joint third, as ex-security minister Tom Tugendhat was eliminated in the latest round of voting by Conservative MPs.

Mr Cleverly secured the backing of 39 MPs, ahead of Robert Jenrick on 31 and Kemi Badenoch on 30. Mr Tugendhat got just 20 votes.