Conservative Party leadership hopeful Sajid Javid has pulled out of the race to succeed Boris Johnson just moments before the closing of nominations.
The former health secretary had been a key figure in the push by cabinet ministers to get rid of the prime minister, sparking a flurry of resignations by quitting government a week ago.
Mr Javid claimed that he had since “set out the values and policies I think are right for the future of our great country” – before calling on remaining Tory candidates to “look outwards, not inwards”.
Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 Committee of backbenchers announced the eight contenders who gained enough support to make it into the first round of the contest.
The nominated candidates who successfully found at least 20 backers were Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Penny Mordaunt, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt and Nadhim Zahawi.
Mr Javid failed to find much support among those who stayed in government MPs who remained loyal to Mr Johnson until the bitter end of his premiership.
The former minister had also struggled to bat away ongoing questions about his tax affairs, after he admitted earlier he had benefitted from non-domicile tax status before entering politics.
The Independent reported on Monday that Mr Javid exploited a tax loophole to benefit from non-dom perks while working in the Treasury as a ministerial aide.
Although he had set out a series of tax cut promises costing £39bn, Mr Javid did not manage to build support on the right of the party as a credible tax-cutter. And Ms Truss, Mr Badenoch and Ms Braverman proved more sucessful appealling to Brexiteers.
Frontrunner Mr Sunak has picked up a lot of backing dismissing “fairytales” and advocating fiscal responsibility, while Mr Tugendhat has forged ahead as the candidate of One Nation moderates from the centre of the party.
Mr Javid did not say who he would now through his weight behind. He denied working his resignation with Mr Sunak over their near-simultaneous resignations.
Home secretary Priti Patel ruled out a late bid for the leadership earlier on Tuesday after her closest rivals absorbed much of the support from the right of the party.
Mr Johnson’s arch loyalists Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg came out in support of foreign secretary Liz Truss in a bid to block Mr Sunak.
Mr Rees-Mogg said she has “always opposed Rishi’s higher taxes”, while Ms Dorries said Ms Truss – who voted Remain in the 2016 referendum – is probably a “stronger Brexiteer than both of us”.
An ally of Ms Braverman, asked if she would consider withdrawing to unite the right behind someone else, told The Independent: “She absolutely won’t.”
Red wall Tory MP Aaron Bell, championing Mr Tugendhat, claimed the moderate’s campaign had got “a lot of second preferences” and would move forward through the ballots this week.
The senior MP from the 2019 intake, now a member of the 1922 committe, told Sky News: “I can’t tell you they are right now, because they’re obviously [currently] supporting other people.”
The first ballot of MPs will now take place on Wednesday, with any candidate who fails to get at least 30 votes expected to drop out.
A second ballot will follow on Thursday with further ballots to be held next week until the list of candidates is whittled down to a final two, who will go forward into a postal ballot of party members in August. The final result would be announced on 5 September.
