MATT Hancock was considering dropping out of the race for PM after winning finishing second from bottom in the first round of voting.
His team was locked in discussions about how to proceed after securing just 20 votes in yesterday’s first round of voting in the race to replace Theresa May – just three votes above the threshold to qualify for Tuesday’s second round.
One MP on his campaign said: “He’s considering all his options.”
Another said: “He’ll take stock and work out what to do overnight.” His campaign fear MPs could flock to rival Tory moderate Rory Stewart’s campaign after his surprise performance in the contest so far.
But Mr Hancock’s campaign spokesman denied he would drop out before tomorrow’s 1pm deadline to
officially enter the second round of voting. He said: “He performed above expectations in the first round and is still in the race.”
One MP on Team Hancock said Mr Stewart had a “messianic aura” about him at the moment.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s campaign vowed to stay in the race despite winning just 23 votes.
One MP on his campaign said they had received “several calls” from MPs on other campaigns who were ready to jump ship and back Mr Javid due to his pitch as the “change candidate”.
The MP said: “It’s genuinely all to play for.”
Some of Mr Hancock’s backers think he should pull out of the contest because they fear the moderate wing of the party is being split.
They say Mr Stewart will refuse to pull out of the contest – and so Mr Hancock may bow out to make sure a moderate is on the ballot paper.
One backer told The Sun: “He is thinking about the next steps very carefully.”
The MP said Mr Stewart’s insurgent campaign is splitting the moderate vote.
They added: “It is dividing that side of the party between people who many have gone for Sajid and Matt are now split three ways.
“Rory’ is definitely increasing support and it is going to make it hard for another moderate to make a final dash.”
Team Hunt, Team Saj, Team Raab and Team Bojo have all been firing off texts begging Mr Hancock’s backers to switch to them.
The source said: “They are all out to pick people off. I think they see Matt as the weakest.
“Rory has a messianic aura about him at the moment. People are going to stick with him through thick and thin.
EVERY one of the 313 Tory MPs cast a vote in today’s secret ballot, the first step in choosing a new party leader and Prime Minister.
They used specially printed ballot papers in a wood-panelled Commons committee room, before bosses of the powerful 1922 Committee tallied up the votes and announced them to MPs.
Three of the ten candidates were expelled from the race after failing to pass the threshold of 17 votes – 5 per cent of the party.
The other seven will go through to the second ballot which opens at 3pm on Tuesday and closes two hours later.
In that round they need to get at least 33 votes to stay in the contest – meaning Dominic Raab, Sajid Javid, Matt Hancock and Rory Stewart will lose unless they pick up extra support over the weekend.
In the unlikely event all remaining candidates pass that figure, the contender with the fewest votes drops out.
If a third ballot is required it will take place on Wednesday, with any further ballots needed coming in quick succession on Thursday.
The rounds will continue until there are just two candidates left – almost certain to be Boris Johnson and one other.
The final decision then passes to Tory activists who will vote by post to elect the new party leader and Prime Minister.
“ I think they see Matt’s supporters as more pragmatic.”
On who Mr Hancock’s supporters could switch to, they added: “I think it will be quite scattered. Probably Hunt will do best and the rest will scatter.”
After the results were announced Mr Hancock tweeted: “Thanks so much for the fantastic support – terrific to have more votes from colleagues than I could have hoped for #letsmoveforward.”
