Sajid Javid eliminated; Boris Johnson stays top of UK PM race

Sajid Javid, son of an immigrant bus driver who had made it to the last four in the race to be the UK’s next prime minister, was eliminated on Thursday after he polled the least number of votes (34), while favourite Boris Johnson topped the list.

The fourth round of voting by Conservative MPs to select the next party leader and the man to replace Theresa May in Downing Street has now left only three in the fray: Johnson (with 157 votes), environment secretary Michael Gove (61) and foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt (59).

Javid became the first Asian and non-white politician to come close to becoming the prime minister in a multicultural country, where the number of non-white MPs elected to the House of Commons has been growing in recent elections. The loss notwithstanding, Javid ‘s 4th position places him well for future leadership contests.

Javid said he was “truly humbled by the support I have received. If my ambition and conduct in this contest has set an example for anyone, then it has been more than worth it…We ran to win, but I am incredibly proud of the race we have run together.”

Frontrunner Johnson is virtually assured of a place in the second phase of the election, when over 1.2 lakh members of the Conservative party will vote to choose the winner from the last two candidates. But before that, another round of voting by 313 party MPs will decide the top-2 contenders on Thursday.

Brexit has been the defining theme of the leadership contest that began with 10 candidates. How each would go about approaching the deadline of October 31 has been the key: with an agreement, without one, another referendum, or another election.