Rishi Sunak is believed to have become the first Tory leadership candidate to have amassed sufficient support to make it to the ballot of Conservative colleagues.
The former chancellor’s supporters said on Friday night he had received nominations from 100 Tory MPs to pass the threshold required way ahead of Monday’s deadline.
Tobias Ellwood claims to be Rishi Sunak’s 100th supporter – if he is, that would mean the former chancellor has already passed the threshold for nominations to be the next Tory leader.
The free mkt experiment is over – it’s been a low point in our Party’s great history.
— Tobias Ellwood MP (@Tobias_Ellwood) October 21, 2022
The reset begins.
Time for centrist, stable, fiscally responsible Government offering credible domestic & international leadership.
Honoured to be the 100th Tory MP to support #Ready4Rishi pic.twitter.com/bOmlQLrtQn
A campaign source has also told the PA news agency that Sunak has reached the magic number. Prospective candidates need 100 nominations from Tory MPs in order to enter a possible first ballot.
The BBC has been keeping a tally of MPs who have either publicly supported Sunak or indicated to the BBC that they back him. That figure is currently at 84.
Other Tories who have in the last few moments said they’re backing Sunak include former health secretary Matt Hancock and Tom Tugendhat.
At this moment in time, there has been no official announcement from Sunak about his intention to run.
Boris Johnson was lagging behind, though like Sunak he has not formally declared or entered the country yet.
However, Johnson has told allies he is “up for it” and would fly back from his holiday in the Dominican Republic to enter the race.
PLEASE HELP US KEEP GOING AD-FREE
HELP US GROW.This is a "Pay as You Feel" website.
Hey there! Thanks for stopping by. If you've enjoyed reading my blog so far, I would be incredibly grateful if you could consider making a small donation. My blog is entirely independent and does not receive any funding from the state, corporations, or institutions. Instead, it relies solely on the support of readers like you.
Despite the fact that not everyone agrees with every article I publish, I'm proud to provide a unique perspective, insider information, and a platform for debate. However, I simply can't continue to do this without your help.
So, if you're able to spare a few pounds, dollars, or euros, I would be so grateful for your support. Your donations will help me to keep my blog running and entirely free from ads, which means you can enjoy an uninterrupted reading experience.
Once again, thank you for your support – I truly couldn't do this without you!
