Conservative Party Leadership Ballot Five - the final ballot

The final ballot has been conducted.
The results were:

1. Boris Johnson = 160
2. Jeremy Hunt = 77
3. Michael Gove = 75
Abstentions = 1

After a narrow victory for Gove over Hunt in terms of second place in the fourth ballot, Hunt has successfully beaten him and entered into the final two against Johnson. The final two are the same final two from the first ballot.

Javid's elimination and one less abstention has led to Johnson claiming an extra three votes, Hunt managed to secure 18 and Gove 14. This result was crucial for Hunt to beat Gove. Javid's voters would, I believe, had gone to Johnson if he was eliminated earlier but the final ballot was merely a race for second place. Sources of Westminster has led to beliefs that the Tory MPs did not want a Gove V Johnson, fearing that kind of rivalry from the two leading people from the 2016 Vote Leave campaign would severely damage the party, more so than it has already. Thus Hunt was voted in for second place, but by an incredibly small margin.

The next month sees Conservative Party Members cast their vote after a series of hustings. Johnson will go against Hunt in a head-to-head on ITV on 9th June. Johnson is the hot favourite among the membership however now all those who are anti-Johnson, and there many, will all be behind Hunt. Johnson will probably win but I do not believe it will be a landslide victory.