Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt makes final four of Conservative Party leadership contest

The 49-year-old came second in the third round of the Tory leadership contest with 82 votes behind Rishi Sunak who got 115 votes.

Liz Truss got 71, Kemi Badenoch 58 and Tom Tugendhat 31 – meaning he was eliminated.

Tugendhat, who came fifth in the previous round of MPs' votes, had previously rejected calls to stand aside.

The contest has heated up after Mr Sunak, Ms Mordaunt and Ms Truss clashed in an ITV-hosted debate on Sunday over their economic policies.

But amid fears over damage to the image of the party, the leadership debate on Sky News planned for Tuesday night has been cancelled after Mr Sunak and Ms Truss indicated they did not want to take part, the broadcaster said.

Ms Mordaunt said it was a ‘shame’ that the debate would not be going ahead.

In a statement sent to journalists, her team said: ‘It’s a shame some colleagues cannot find a way to debate one another in a civil way.

‘Throughout this contest she has never dodged media or shied away from broadcast interviews and debates - people deserve to hear from their leaders.’

Ms Mordaunt, though, was rounded on amid claims she missed ministerial meetings because she was plotting her Tory leadership bid, her departmental boss claimed, as senior Conservatives expressed concern about the increasingly bitter race to replace Boris Johnson.

The trade minister’s absence from meetings forced colleagues to pick up the pieces, international trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan alleged in a scathing attack on the leadership hopeful.

But former minister Harriet Baldwin, an ally of Ms Mordaunt, said: ‘Having worked with Penny Mordaunt for a number of years, I can confirm this is not true.

‘She is one of the most hard-working ministers and constituency MPs I know. I look forward to Penny continuing to put forward her positive vision for Britain.’

A series of votes among Tory MPs this week will narrow the field down to a final two, who will then face a summer of campaigning for the support of party members in a final vote.

SEE ALSO: Penny Mordaunt clashes on TV debate

The new leader will be announced on September 5 and is expected to become prime minister the following day.