Priti Patel has ruled out a last-minute bid to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister, just hours before a 6pm deadline for leadership hopefuls to secure the required backing of 20 MPs.
The home secretary was described as being genuinely torn over whether to run, having reportedly received a “good reception” from Brexiteer Tories in the European Research Group on Monday night after vowing she would cut taxes, ditch green levies and start fracking.
Meanwhile, transport secretary Grant Shapps has pulled out of the race and has instead backed Rishi Sunak to be the next Tory leader, with justice secretary Dominic Raab also appearing onstage at the former chancellor’s campaign launch to declare him a “true Conservative”.
It came as Tory former prime minister Sir John Major criticised Cabinet ministers for failing to speak out against Mr Johnson and doing so “only when their silence became self-damaging”.
Appearing before a House of Commons committee, the former Tory prime minister said the government had “broken the law” and risked “pulling our constitution into shreds” – but warned ministers were “culpable too”.
Key dates in the Tory leadership race
Here is a timetable for the leadership contest.
Tuesday July 12: Nominations open and close. In order to stand, a candidate will need the support of at least 20 MPs – potentially making it harder for some of the less well-known contenders to make it onto the ballot paper. As of this afternoon, 10 candidates were running for the top job.
Wednesday July 13: First ballot. Any candidate who fails to get at least 30 votes is expected to drop out.
The previous Tory leadership contest in 2019, which had 10 candidates, saw a first ballot threshold of just 17 votes required, with the greater number this time around perhaps reflecting a desire to more quickly whittle down contenders.
Thursday July 14: Second ballot. A second ballot will follow on Thursday with further ballots to be held next week until the list of candidates is reduced to a final two – who will then go forward into a postal ballot of party members.
Bob Blackman, joint-executive secretary of the 1922 Committee, said the aim was to have the contest down to a final two before the start of MPs’ summer holidays.
Friday July 15: First debate. Channel 4 will hold the first televised Tory leadership debate with the remaining candidates at 7pm.
Sunday July 17: Second debate. ITV will host a TV debate at 7pm.
Monday July 18: Third debate. Sky News is scheduled to host another debate the following night, hosted by Kay Burley.
Friday July 22 onwards: Hustings are to take place around the country over the summer to help party members determine their choice for the new Conservative leader.
Mr Blackman said it is a “condition of nomination” for candidates to agree that they will contest the ballot of party members if they reach the final two. This is to avoid a situation as in 2016, when Dame Andrea Leadsom dropped out, handing the leadership unchallenged to Theresa May before party members were given the opportunity to vote.
Monday September 5: New Conservative leader announced. The new prime minister will be announced when MPs return to Westminster from their summer break.
Watch: Starmer says Labour must remove ‘intolerable’ Boris Johnson
Here is more from Sir Keir Starmer on Labour’s motion of confidence in Boris Johnson’s government.
Tom Tugendhat’s nomination papers handed to 1922 Committee
Tory MP Aaron Bell has handed in the nomination papers for Tom Tugendhat’s leadership bid to the 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady, indicating he had the support of the 20 MPs required to go into the contest.
“Tom is now the first candidate to be duly nominated,” Mr Bell said.
Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt have also reportedly received the public backing of the required number of MPs.
Channel 4 to host Tory leadership debate on Friday
Channel 4 has announced it will hold a Tory leadership debate with the remaining candidates on Friday at 7pm.
It is the third televised debate to be announced. ITV will also host one on Sunday at 7pm, while another will be aired on Sky News on Monday.
Matt Hancock announces support for Rishi Sunak – on Matt Hancock app
Former health secretary Matt Hancock has given his backing to Rishi Sunak, saying: “I know all of the candidates … and I think Rishi Sunak is the best-placed of all of them to take this country through difficult times.”
The delivery of his support sparked some amusement as it emerged that Mr Hancock had first made the announcement on his Matt Hancock MP app.
Liz Truss reaches threshold of support needed to appear on ballot
Liz Truss has become the fourth contender to publicly reach the threshold of 20 nominations from Tory MPs in order to make the next round of the leadership contest, in addition to Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt and Tom Tugendhat.
She hit the target as two MPs who had previously backed Grant Shapps, who ended his campaign to throw his weight behind Mr Sunak, gave her their support
One of them, Peterborough MP Paul Bristow, tweeted: “We need a leader who is proven to deliver. trussliz has that record and experience. She is best placed to unite our party and deliver for our country”.
Starmer ‘challenges Tories to put constituents first’ with confidence vote
Outlining Labour’s motion for a no confidence vote, Sir Keir Starmer said he was challenging Tory MPs to “put their constituents first”.
“The Tory party has at last concluded that the prime minister is unfit for office, that was blindingly obvious a very, very long time ago. He is leaving because his own party has concluded that he can’t be trusted,” he said.
“They can’t now let him cling on for weeks, and weeks, and weeks until September 5. It would be intolerable for the country. Since the Tories have failed to act in the national interest, Labour will.
“We have put down a vote of no confidence, and challenged any Tory MP who in the last few days has said ‘I can’t serve Boris Johnson because you can’t trust a word the man says’, ‘I can’t go on the media because the lines he gives us always unravel’.
“Can they really vote to say he should stay in power for another few weeks? We’re challenging them to put their constituents first, and put the country first.”
Priti Patel rules out bid for Tory leadership as rivals absorb right-wing backing
Priti Patel has ruled out a late bid for the Conservative leadership after her rivals absorbed much of the support from the right of the party.
The home secretary is reported to have been “genuinely torn” last night over whether to launch her own leadership bid, following a last-ditch appeal to the European Research Group (ERG) of Brexiteer Tory MPs as she sought to secure their support.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Ms Patel had vowed to cut taxes, ditch green levies and start fracking, and warned the UK is “quite frankly in one hell of a hole” of rocketing inflation, adding: “No one in the party has gripped this and it must be the priority for our party.”
One ERG source told the paper that Ms Patel “got a good reception”, while another said: “She is on the same page. They all agreed with her.”
Our political correspondent Adam Forrest has the breaking story here, which you can refresh for updates:
Priti Patel rules out bid for Tory leadership
Home secretary says she wants to focus on controlling borders
‘I cannot accept retreat’: Tom Tugendhat promises ‘clean start’
Tom Tugendhat has said the UK must not “retreat” economically and politically as he promised tax cuts to help ease the cost-of-living crisis and a “clean start” following the scandal-hit Boris Johnson years.
The former military officer said the British people wanted a government to “not only hold the line but to advance their aspirations”, and warned of a “creeping sense of despair about our collective future” – with a debt-ridden economy, political division at home and danger abroad.
“They have asked us to advance, and yet we have retreated,” he said at the formal launch of his campaign. “In a moment that is so desperate for so many – and when our service is most needed – we have retreated.
“We have retreated into the pettiness of a politics that is more about personality than principle. We have retreated into division when we desperately need unity. When our nation needed our party to function, we retreated into faction. When the moment demanded service, we delivered scandal.”
He added: “I cannot accept retreat.”
David Davis backs Penny Mordaunt as candidate ‘most likely to actually beat Rishi Sunak‘
Former Cabinet minister David Davis has announced his support for Penny Mordaunt, saying she is the most likely Tory leadership candidate to “beat Rishi Sunak”.
“We need high integrity, we can’t afford any more scandals after the last two years. She’s a woman of incredible integrity,” the senior MP told Sky News.
“But, most of all, she’s got a vision for Britain, she’s a patriot, she knows what she wants to put across, she knows what sort of Conservatism she stands for.
“As a result, she’s popular in Scotland, she’s popular in Red Wall seats, she’s popular with the younger voters and, actually, she’s the person who’s most likely within the party to actually beat Rishi Sunak.”
