Senior Tories are jockeying for position to succeed doomed Boris Johnson, as the Prime Minister is set to resign with a statement later today.
Following a flood of sleaze scandals including Partygate and the Chris Pincher furore, Mr Johnson’s time in No10 looks to finally be over.
Since Tuesday night, more than 50 Tory MPs have abandoned their leader and staff at Number 10 have now said his letter of resignation has been prepared.
The statement is expected to be made at lunchtime - but who could replace the outgoing PM as leader of the Conservative Party.
Penny Mordaunt has emerged as the hot favourite to become PM.
Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Ben Wallace and Sajid Javid are widely tipped to stand.
After a bruising charge to oust their boss, MPs are set to enter a potentially divisive bid to choose a fresh direction.
But can anyone unite the party split over Brexit and Mr Johnson’s shameless conduct?
Here Pippa Crerar, Ben Glaze and Rachel Wearmouth look at the contenders to become PM.
Thomas Tugendhat, 49
Current job: Foreign Affairs Select Committee chairman
W here in the party: A One Nation Tory, elected in 2015 as David Cameron won a Conservative majority
Backers: Set to include “pork pie plot” coordinator Alicia Kearns and possibly Bob Seely
P ositive: Former Army captain with broad knowledge of international affairs
N egative: Accused of being too pleased with himself
ODDS: 8/1
Sajid Javid, 52
Current job: Former Health Secretary is on backbenches after dramatic resignation
Where in the party: a pro-Brexit fiscal conservative libertarian
Backers: His old university friends Robert Halfon and Nickie Aiken
Positive: Shown more principle than colleagues by being the first to quit Cabinet this week
Negative: Poor public speaker who lost last time round in leadership contest
ODDS: 7/1
Ben Wallace, 52
Current job : Defence Secretary
W here in the party: Elected in 2005, he is popular with all wings and is a Boris Johnson loyalist.
Backers : Likely to win support of fellow defence ministers Leo Docherty, Jeremy Quin and James Heappey
Positive: Widely-praised as a straight talker and for his handling of the Ukraine war.
Negative: Has little experience outside of defence
ODDS: 10/1
Jeremy Hunt, 55
Current job: Health & Social Care Select Committee chair
Where in the party: Moderate multi-millionaire who holds a safe Surrey seat
Backers: Steve Brine looks likely, along with Father of the House Sir Peter Bottomley.
Positive: Held three Cabinet portfolios - culture, health and foreign - so has good domestic and foreign experience.
Negative: Well-beaten by Boris Johnson in 2019 leadership bid
ODDS: 10/1
Rishi Sunak, 42
Current job: Ex-Chancellor is now on the backbenches
Where in the party: Dubbed “Dishy Rishi”, he has long been seen as a hot tip to become PM
Backers: One Nation Tories, Brexiteers and colleagues who entered Parliament in 2019
Positive: Won plaudits during his handling of Covid, largely due to the furlough scheme
Negative: Viewed as out of touch - he and his wife have a combined £370m fortune
ODDS: 13/2
Dominic Raab, 48
Current job: Deputy PM
Where in the party: Brexiteer made the third round in 2019 leadership bid and has some backing with party’s right wing
Backers: Suella Braverman and Maria Miller
Positive: Praised for deputising for Mr Johnson when he was hospitalised with Covid in 2020
Negative: Moved from being Foreign Secretary after the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan while he holidayed
ODDS: 28/1
Penny Mordaunt, 49
Current job: Paymaster General
Where in the party: Mordaunt bridges the Brexiteer and socially liberal wings of the Conservative Party
Backers: Former Business Secretary Dame Andrea Leadsom who has twice run to become leader of the Tories
Positive: A unity candidate who could heal the Conservatives’ bitter divisions
Negative: Not well known among wider electorate
ODDS: 4/1
Nadhim Zahawi, 55
Current job: Chancellor
Where in the party: Brexiteer
Backers: Moderates and 2019 intake of Tory MPs
Positive: Backstory sets him apart - his Kurdish parents fled Baghdad when he was nine
Negative: Last year, the Mirror revealed he, his wife and their companies had built a £100m property portfolio. In 2013, he promised to repay a bill for power at his stables that was funded by taxpayers.
ODDS: 10/1
Liz Truss, 46
Current job: Foreign Secretary
Where in the party: Remainer turned Brexiteer who has channelled former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during her time in office
Backers: Red Wall MP Dehenna Davison
Positive: Her hardline on the war in Ukraine and EU is popular with Tory grassroots
Negative: Regarded as mercurial by her Conservative Party colleagues
ODDS: 7/1
