Kemi Badenoch has been elected as the new leader of the Conservative Party, defeating Robert Jenrick by 53,906 votes to 41,388.
Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced his resignation following the party's resounding defeat in the general election in the summer, sparking a lengthy leadership contest.
Six candidates stood to lead the party Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick, Priti Patel, Mel Stride and Tom Tugendhat.
Candidates required a proposer, a seconder and 8 nominations to proceed to the ballot, with the parliamentary party then whittling the shortlist down to four, with Ms Stride and Ms Patel eliminated in the first round.
Mr Tugenhadt was eliminated in a vote by MPs in the second round, and it was assumed that Mr Cleverley would advance to the final round and ultimately become party leader.
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However, he was surprisingly eliminated to leave the final two.
Members had 16 days after that process to submit their ballots online or by post, with all Tory members eligible to vote provided they were active for 90 days before the ballot closed and had been members when the contest began.
Announcing the results, Bob Blackman MP, chairman of the 1922 committee, noted that 45 ballots had been discounted as votes had been cast for more than one candidate.
He quipped: "Quite tough in a two-person election..."
Ms Badenoch emerged as the victor, becoming the fourth woman to be Conservative leader following Margaret Thatcher, Theresa May and Liz Truss.
Following her election she said: "It is the most enormous honour to be elected to this role, to lead the party that I love, the party that has given me so much.
"I hope that I will be able to repay that debt.
"The task that stands before us is tough, but simple.
"Our first responsibility as His Majesty's Loyal Opposition is to hold this Labour government to account.
"Our second is no less important: it is to prepare, over the course of the next two years, for government; to ensure that by the time of the next election we have not just a clear set of Conservative pledges that appeal to the British people, but a clear plan for how to implement them.
"That huge job begins today.
"It will seek to involve all of our colleagues in parliament, the Scottish Parliament, the Senedd, our friends in Northern Ireland as well as councillors and party members.
"Our party is critical to the success of our country, but to be heard we have to be honest.
"Honest about the fact that we made mistakes, honest about the fact that we let standards slip.
"The time has come to tell the truth.
"It is time to get down to business. It is time to renew."
Born in Wimbledon, London in 1980, she grew up in Nigeria and the United States before returning to the UK at the age of 16.
Ms Badenoch joined the Conservatives in 2005 and first stood for parliament in 2010, coming third in the Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.
Though a British citizen, she said in her first speech in the House of Commons that she was "to all intents and purposes a first-generation immigrant".
Despite that she is seen as a hardliner on immigration, stating earlier in the contest that "not all cultures are equally valid".
She has declared she would be ready to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights in order to prevent people from seeking asylum.
Ms Badenoch has also caused controversy for suggesting maternity pay has "gone too far" and downplaying Britain's role in colonial history.
She describes herself as a 'gender critical feminist', and has described gender affirming healthcare as "a new form of conversion therapy".
Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay said: “My warmest congratulations to Kemi on her election as the new UK Conservative leader.
“I look forward to us working constructively together to hold the high-tax SNP and Labour governments to account.
“Kemi and I share common-sense conservative values.
“We’re determined to deliver opportunities for people to get ahead and to reduce taxes for aspirational workers and business owners.
“We will continue to proudly champion our union and stand up for women’s rights from the threat of dangerous gender ideology.
“We are both committed to winning back public trust by focusing on the issues that impact on people’s lives.”
SNP depute leader, Keith Brown said: "The election of Kemi Badenoch as leader has finalised the Tories lurch to the far right.
“Whether it’s rolling back maternity pay or targetting the rights of minorities, Badenoch’s win demonstrates how out of touch the Tories are with people across Scotland.
"The Tory party is now firmly dancing to the dangerous tune of Nigel Farage - it is essential that in Scotland Russell Findlay doesn't dance along and instead stands up for Scotland's inclusive and progressive values.
"With the Labour government punishing the most vulnerable in our society with cuts to pensioners' winter fuel support and the Tories now being puppeted by Nigel Farage, it has never been more essential that Scotland escapes the Westminster chaos and charts a better future as an independent nation.”
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: "I congratulate Kemi Badenoch on her historic achievement as the first Black female leader of the Conservative Party.
"The first thing any new Tory leader should do is apologise to Scots for gambling with families' savings, crashing the economy and sending bills soaring while putting party before country.
"Yet with Badenoch already talking about cutting the maternity pay that is vital to young working families, it seems unlikely that the Tories have learned their lesson.
"The 2024 election result made it clear that voters want change not a return to a rotten Tory government.
"The UK Labour Budget ended austerity and delivered the largest Budget settlement for the Scottish Government since devolution while also increasing support for working families.
"It's the Labour Party that will deliver the change that Scotland needs."
Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: "I’d congratulate Kemi Badenoch on her new position, but I’d be one of the few doing so. This contest has proved beyond doubt that the few remaining voices of moderate, centre-right Conservatism are now utterly marginalised in the modern Conservative Party. They seem determined to emulate the gutter politics of Farage’s far–right Reform.
“While neither of the final leadership hopefuls gave much for their party to put their faith in, it is truly depressing to see the Tory Party now led by someone as unashamedly divisive as Kemi Badenoch.
“She has based her campaign on a nasty culture war agenda, fuelling division and pitting communities against one another. LGBTQ+ people in particular will be deeply worried that a major party is now in the hands of someone so hostile to our human rights.
“Her scaremongering on net zero targets, at a time when extreme weather events and climate impact on the world’s food system are wreaking havoc, underlines why the Tories cannot be trusted with our climate.
“She’s been elected by appealing to the worst instincts of the Conservative Party. We know that the politics she represents is no basis for building a fairer society - we have just endured 14 years of them.
"I’m confident that Scotland will continue to reject the politics of the Tories, no matter who’s in charge.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: “I’d like to congratulate Kemi Badenoch on being elected leader of the Conservative Party.
“The election of the first Black leader of a major UK political party is a historic moment for the country.
“Voters across the country believe her party is too divided, out-of-touch and unable to accept Conservative failures over the past years.
“The Liberal Democrats will continue to offer the best opposition to the Government and fight for a fair deal for Britain.”
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice said Kemi Badenoch had “failed the British public before and will fail them again”.
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