Getty ImagesKemi Badenoch (L) and Robert Jenrick (R)The shock at the elimination of James Cleverly was near universal.
Not only had he failed to muster the handful of extra votes to make it into the last two, he had actually gone backwards.
How on Earth did that happen?
In a secret ballot, theories vary, but cock-up attracts more credibility than conspiracy among the various campaigns.
Some reckon some Conservative MPs concluded Cleverly was home and dry and so they could afford to vote for someone else, in the hope that contributed to the elimination of the candidate they really didn’t want to make the run-off.
Others say the other two campaigns were simply more effective and more persuasive when it really counted.
Who knows.
And, to be honest, it no longer matters.
The final pair have been decided and it is Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick, not either or.
