Neither the former prime minister nor the former chancellor have officially entered the race to succeed Liz Truss as prime minister. The race to become PM is heating up – follow the latest updates Image: The expected timeline of events for the election of a new prime minister To be on the ballot, leadership candidates need the support of at least 100 Conservative MPs. Public endorsements mean Mr Sunak has passed that threshold – with 121 supporters – and Mr Johnson’s allies claim he also has the numbers to run. But the latest Sky News count shows just 56 MPs have confirmed they would back Johnson’s campaign to become prime minister for a second term. One of Mr Sunak’s supporters – Richard Holden – rejected claims that Johnson had 100 MPs behind him and said that number of public endorsements had not been made “because they don’t exist”. The only person to have thrown their hat in the ring, Commons leader Penny Mordaunt, has received endorsements from 23 of her peers. The current contest has been rushed following Liz Truss’ resignation as Prime Minister and nominations for the ballot are expected to close at 2pm tomorrow evening. Read more: Who are Tory MPs backing to be next PM? MPs who applauded Johnson’s exit now urge #BringBackBorisAnalysis: Johnson dominates debate but victory won’t be easy Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 0:52 “I can’t have a liar in parliament” Reports indicate that talks between Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak focused on a possible joint ticket. It comes after the former prime minister returned to the UK from a holiday in the Dominican Republic in economy class – with some fellow passengers booing him as he boarded. If all three candidates received 100 supporters, there would be a vote by MPs – with the two winners going to party members. A vote will then take place, meaning the new leader will be chosen by Friday. In a major moment for the Sunak team, Kemi Badenoch threw her support behind the former chancellor after a number of big names had flocked to Mr Johnson. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player 1:18 What would it take to force a general election? While admitting he was part of “Boris Johnson’s fan club”, he warned the Tories were not “running a popularity contest” – and the party “is not a vehicle for any individual’s personal ambitions”. Writing in The Sunday Times, Ms Badenoch said of her decision to back Mr Sunak: “Like any colleague, we had our differences, which I developed when we were competitors in the same competition. “Now it’s imperative that I let people know about the decisions he made and I knew they were absolutely right.” He also talked about his focus on inflation and easing “unnecessary, wasteful spending.” Meanwhile, former foreign secretary Dominic Raab said it was “difficult to see” how Johnson could become prime minister again when he is “absorbed and distracted” by the issues surrounding the party. Speaking to Sky News, Mr Raab said she was “confident” Mr Sunak would enter the Tory leadership race and was the “prominent candidate” among the pitches. To register your interest in joining the audience, email [email protected]
