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Who is backing who in the Tory leadership race?

Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt in the running to be next leader of the Conservatives

Thomas Kingsley
Monday 24 October 2022 11:16 BST
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(PA/Reuters)

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Candidates in the race to succeed Liz Truss prime minister have until Monday to collect nominations from 100 MPs to get onto the ballot paper.

Former chancellor Rishi Sunak and Commons leader Penny Mordaunt appear to be the only contenders in play after Boris Johnson dropped out late on Sunday evening despite insisting he had the support of 102 MPs, his rush back from holiday in the Dominican Republic apparently for nothing.

The likes of Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Ben Wallace and James Cleverly were all quick to rule themselves out but Suella Braverman and Kemi Badenoch were among the other names mentioned as possible contenders.

Do you want a general election?

It comes after Ms Truss resigned as PM on Thursday after just 45 days in office, with the chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench MPs, Sir Graham Brady, announcing that a successor will be chosen by the end of next week and before the government’s fiscal statement on 31 October.

Below is the full list of which MPs are backing who:

Rishi Sunak (140 backers)

Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak (Toby Melville/Reuters)

The former chancellor and runner-up in the last leadership race has serious momentum picking up behind him.

His supporters include:

Sir Bob Neill, Mark Harper, Liam Fox, Gavin Williamson, Simon Baynes, Sir Robert Syms, Simon Hoare, Richard Graham, Rehman Chishti, Damian Hinds, Crispin Blunt, Julian Sturdy, Andrew Bowie, Greg Clark, John Glen, Robert Halfon, Robert Jenrick, Guy Opperman, Claire Coutinho, Siobhan Baillie, Angela Richardson, Robin Walker, Mel Stride, Mark Garnier, Jo Gideon, Jonathan Djanogly, Victoria Prentis, Andrew Bowie, Helen Whately, James Morris, Anthony Browne, Nick Gibb, Philip Dunne, Julian Smith, Richard Holden, James Daly, Nigel Mills, Mark Logan, David Rutley, Andrew Bridgen, Gillian Keegan, Chris Philp, Sajid Javid, Jonathan Lord, Lucy Frazer, Duncan Baker, Johnny Mercer, Julie Marson, Steve Double, Kevin Hollinrake, Paul Maynard, Anthony Mangnall, Simon Hart, Craig Williams, John Stevenson, Gary Streeter, Andrew Murrison, Dominic Raab, Simon Jupp, Bim Afolami, James Cartlidge, Fay Jones, Alex Chalk, Maggie Throup, Edward Timpson, Laura Farris, Huw Merriman, Simon Fell, David TC Davies, Stephen Hammond, Andrew Jones, John Baron, Andrew Mitchell, James Wild, Rebecca Pow, Jamie Wallis, Oliver Dowden, Miriam Cates, Alan Mak, Matt Hancock, Tom Tugendhat, Tobias Ellwood, Robert Largan, Paul Howell, Sir Peter Bottomley, Aaron Bell, Helen Grant, Caroline Nokes, David Johnston, George Eustice, James Gray, Jeremy Quin, Selaine Saxby, Desmond Swayne, Steve Brine, Richard Bacon, David Mundell, Steve Barclay, Oliver Heald, Sally-Ann Hart, Andrew Selous, Greg Hands, Graham Stuart, Flick Drummond, David Davis, Kemi Badenoch, Tom Hunt, Alun Cairns, Tim Loughton, Greg Knight, Justin Tomlinson, Andrew Lewer, Chris Loder, Steve Baker, Mike Freer, Grant Shapps, Chloe Smith, Theresa Villiers, Mark Pawsey, Stuart Andrew, Matt Vickers, Neil O’Brien, Suella Braverman, Philip Davies, David Simmonds, Will Quince, Gagan Mohindra, Stephen Crabb, Michelle Donelan, Jesse Norman, Geoffrey Cox, James Heappey, Nadhim Zahawi, Priti Patel, James Cleverly.

Penny Mordaunt (27 backers)

Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mordaunt (PA)

The Commons leader will be hoping to pick up the support of disaffected Johnsonites unable to tolerate a Rishi Sunak premiership, still blaming him for Mr Johnson’s ousting in July.

Her backers include:

John Lamont, George Freeman, Bob Seely, Caroline Ansell, Harriet Baldwin, Nicola Richards, Maria Miller, Caroline Dinenage, Andrea Leadsom, John Penrose, Robbie Moore, Kieran Mullan, Neil Hudson, Mary Robinson, Derek Thomas, Damian Collins, Craig Tracey, Marcus Fysh, Tracey Crouch, Heather Wheeler, Damian Green, James Davies, Luke Evans, Caroline Dineage, Harriett Baldwin, Michael Fabricant.

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