Boris Johnson takes another huge leap towards Number 10 with almost half of MPs’ votes as Rory Stewart is axed

BORIS Johnson was today handed the perfect birthday present as he pulled further ahead from Tory rivals in the race for No10.

Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove are both desperately pushing to become his main challenger after the third ballot of MPs this evening.

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But Rory Stewart saw his dreams of becoming PM crushed as he was knocked out following an unlikely run for the top job.

Sajid Javid was the fourth candidate to make it through to the next ballot of MPs, which takes place tomorrow morning.

The fifth and last round of Commons voting will follow tomorrow afternoon - with the two final candidates facing the final verdict of Tory activists next month.

BoJo's latest big victory came on his 55th birthday - he won 143 votes, nearly half of the total, with Mr Hunt in second on 54 and Mr Gove trailing with 51.

The pair will now engage in frantic behind-the-scenes deal-making to try and pick up Mr Stewart's supporters.

Mr Javid was placed fourth with 38 votes while Mr Stewart scored 27 - ten FEWER than he got yesterday.

Rory said this evening: "I am so moved and inspired by the support I have received over the last few weeks - it has given me a new faith in politics, a new belief in our country."

He is widely expected to back Mr Gove, potentially propelling the Environment Secretary into second place ahead of Mr Hunt - but insisted he's "not going to announce for anyone at the moment".

Mr Stewart went backwards after his bizarre performance in last night's BBC debate where he was mocked for ripping off his tie in the middle of the broadcast, constantly moving around and talking over his rivals.

The defeat brings his surprise campaign to an end - he was originally considered a rank outsider before rising to become second favourite earlier this week.

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Tonight he insisted he was right to warn against a No Deal Brexit, saying: "You can't unity a family or a country by sweeping things under the table. You have to bring things into the open.

"There are some serious choices that are going to come to us on October 31. The one candidate who said No Deal was really bad has been removed from this race.

"My judgement is that what I said was true. We will see if between now and October 31 they can deliver. My instinct is, they can't."

Boris tweeted after tonight's result: "Thank you once again to friends and colleagues for your support in the third ballot - especially on my birthday! We’ve come a long way but we have much further to go."

Mr Hunt added: "Three times now MPs have chosen me as the person best-placed to take on Boris. If I make it to the final I will put my heart and soul into giving him the contest of his life - in politics today the unexpected often happens."

Mr Gove wrote on Twitter: "It’s great to have gained the support of ten more colleagues and closed the gap to second once again."

And Mr Javid said he was "delighted" to make it through while praising Mr Stewart for his unconventional campaign.

Earlier today Dominic Raab backed the frontrunner, : "Boris will make sure we leave the EU on time and move on to uniting the country behind a positive programme where everyone can benefit from the UK’s success."

Tory MPs cast their votes in the third leadership ballot between 3pm and 5pm, with the result announced at 6pm.

Speaking outside the wood-panelled Commons committee room where voting took place, Mr Stewart accused Boris Johnson's camp of "dark arts" by using up to 10 of his supporters' proxy votes to lend to Sajid Javid to knock him out.

He name-checked BoJo's henchman Gavin Williamson as the man organising the plot.

Theresa May again refused to say who she voted for, wagging her finger at reporters as she said: "I told you yesterday, none of your business."

Earlier a No10 spokesman claimed she hadn't even told her husband who her preferred candidate is.

Mr Hunt took aim at Mr Johnson this morning, telling the BBC: "Boris has made a big play of saying we would definitely leave, deal or No Deal, on October 31. Yesterday frankly he suggested that he wouldn't be so absolute in that.

"I am not entirely sure what he believes on this, having listened to him last night."

He claimed BoJo's No Deal threat would devastate people such as a Shropshire farmer he met recently, adding: "The individual told me that he exports 95 per cent of his lamb to Europe - so those 40 per cent tariffs would be absolutely crippling."

And the Foreign Secretary insisted he's best placed to cut a deal with Brussels, saying: "It has got to be someone who doesn't blink."

Boris' allies have also urged him to make stronger public assurances that he WILL take us out on October 31.

Hardliners in the European Research Group say he he promised them in private he will junk Theresa May's Brexit deal in its entirety and want him to repeat the same pledge in public too.

Ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith told The Sun: "Boris has been clear that the withdrawal agreement is dead."

A snap survey of viewers found that Mr Stewart came out on top in last night's TV debate with 35 per cent saying he was the best performer, with 21 per cent preferring Mr Johnson.

Another 14 per cent said Mr Hunt was best, 9 per cent backed Mr Gove and just 5 per cent thought Mr Javid was the top candidate in the debate.

Among Tory voters, Boris was the preferred contender followed by Mr Hunt and then Mr Stewart.

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