Alok Sharma, the outgoing chairman of Cop26, is believed to be among around 20 candidates, along with Scottish Secretary Alistair Jack and former ministers Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams. The move will spark accusations that both Mr Sharma (who has a majority of just over 4,000 votes in Reading West) and Mr Jack (less than 2,000 in Dumfries and Galloway) are running away from possible general election defeat.
