Rishi Sunak supporters are claiming that he has the votes to progress to the next stage of the Conservative leadership contest.
Those wanting to win the keys to Downing Street have until Monday to secure the backing of 100 MPs, and must meet this threshold to make it onto the ballot paper.
This means there can only be a maximum of three candidates for the top job, and the field will be narrowed to two by MPs before heading to the wider party membership for a vote – unless Conservative politicians unify behind one person.
The latest Sky News tally suggests Mr Sunak has 85 Tory MPs supporting him, while Boris Johnson has 47 and Penny Mordaunt has 19.
But so far, only Ms Mordaunt – the leader of the House of Commons – has actually announced her intention to run.
Last night, Conservative MP Sir James Duddridge confirmed to Sky News that he had spoken to Mr Johnson, who had told him…
