FILE PHOTO: Former British Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) Rishi Sunak speaks to the media at an event to launch his campaign to be the next Conservative leader and Prime Minister, in London, Britain, July 12, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo
LONDON (Reuters) -Former British finance minister Rishi Sunak won the most votes in the first round of voting to succeed Boris Johnson as leader of the Conservative Party and prime minister, as two candidates were eliminated.
Sunak scored 88 votes, ahead of junior trade minister Penny Mordaunt on 67 and foreign Secretary Liz Truss on 50. Finance minister Nadhim Zahawi and former cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt were eliminated.
Lawmaker Kemi Badenoch received 40 votes, Tom Tugendhat received 37 and Suella Braverman received 32.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan and Alistair Smout, writing by William James; editing by Paul Sandle)
