Tory MPs will cast their first votes in the crowded contest to replace Boris Johnson as party leader and prime minister later today.
Eight contenders remain in the race after Sajid Javid, Grant Shapps and Rehman Chishti dropped out yesterday.
Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Tom Tugendhat, Kemi Badenoch, Penny Mordaunt, Jeremy Hunt, Nadhim Zahawi and Suella Braverman all secured the 20 nominations needed to make the ballot.
Voting will start at 1.30pm with a result expected at 5pm.
Further rounds of votes will whittle the shortlist down to two before the Conservative Party members elect the new leader.
Mr Sunak, the frontrunner, has the most public backers among MPs and is the current bookies’ favourite at 13/8.
But Tory leadership races are never straightforward and he faces an ugly move from Johnson loyalists to prevent him entering No 10.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nadine Dorries and James Cleverly all declared their support for Ms Truss.
Ms Dorries reacted with fury to suggestions Mr Sunak, whose resignation sparked the PM’s downfall last week, had ‘lent’ Mr Hunt some votes to ensure he was on the ballot.
‘This is dirty tricks/a stitch up/dark arts, take your pick,’ the culture secretary tweeted.
‘Team Rishi want the candidate they know they can definitely beat in the final two and that is Jeremy Hunt.’
The claim was denied by Mr Hunt who told LBC radio it was a ‘very dangerous game to play’.
Mr Sunak’s team also hit back at the claim, calling it ‘complete nonsense’ being ‘spread by anti-Rishi people’.
Mr Rees-Mogg attacked the former Chancellor’s economic policy in a Daily Mail article, accusing him of raising tax to ‘socialist’ levels.
But Mr Sunak has attempted to burnish his economic credentials, comparing himself to Margaret Thatcher in an interview with the Telegraph.
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