Underdog in the Tory leadership contest Rishi Sunak has closed the gap on rival Liz Truss, according to one bookmaker.
The former chancellor's campaign was given a slight boost on 1 August after a poll showed a much tighter contest than previously thought.
A survey by Italian firm Techne put Ms Truss, the foreign secretary, on 48 per cent among Tory members against the former chancellor on 43 per cent, with 9 per cent undecided.
The boost has been reflected in William Hill's odds on who will win the race to replace Boris Johnson and get the keys to No 10 Downing Street.
Tony Kenny, William Hill spokesperson, said: “Rishi Sunak’s campaign has received a much-needed boost as recent polling suggests things are tightening up in the Tory leadership contest.
“Liz Truss dominated early proceedings and received the backing of former rival Penny Mordaunt last night but has drifted to 2/9 and doesn’t look as secure as she once was.
"Sunak, on the other hand, looks to be building momentum and appears to have won over some party members, as a result we have cut him to 7/2.”
The contest to replace Mr Johnson is in full swing , with the two remaining candidates taking part in recent TV debates and Tory party hustings.
Under the system used to elect the Conservative Party’s leader, MPs vote for their preferred candidates over successive rounds of votes with the person with the least support eliminated each time.
When only two are left, the finalists are presented to the entire membership for a final ballot, after which a winner will emerge. Here’s a look at which MPs declared for the two canidates in the second round of voting.
Rishi Sunak – 101 votes in second round, 56 backers, odds 7/2
MPs to have declared their support include: Mark Harper, Jacob Young, Angela Richardson, John Glen, Laura Trott, Mark Spencer, Paul Maynard, Robert Jenrick, Claire Coutinho, Liam Fox, Oliver Dowden, Mel Stride, Sir Bob Neill, Andrew Murrison, Bim Afolami, Louie French, Simon Jupp, Simon Hoare, Kevin Hollinrake, Fay Jones, Peter Gibson, Helen Whately, Maria Caulfield, Craig Williams, James Cartlidge, Robert Goodwill, Simon Hart, Gareth Davies, Siobhan Baillie, Anthony Browne, Greg Hands, Ruth Edwards, Gary Streeter, Alex Chalk, Laura Farris, Victoria Prentis, Dominic Raab, Lucy Frazer, Gillian Keegan, Grant Shapps, Matt Hancock, James Wild, Rebecca Pow, Steve Barclay, Helen Whately, Alun Cairns, Stephen Crabb, Chris Skidmore, Mark Menzies, Andrew Jones, Simon Baynes, Sir Gavin Williamson, Michael Ellis, Theresa Villiers, Nigel Huddleston
Liz Truss - 64 votes in second round, 24 backers, odds 2/9
Alec Sherbrooke, Dehenna Davison, Wendy Morton, Vicky Ford, Jackie Doyle-Price, Julian Knight, Rob Butler, Chloe Smith, Dean Russell, Marcus Fysh, Darren Henry, Ranil Jayawardena, Simon Clarke, Therese Coffey, Kwasi Kwarteng, James Cleverly, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Nadine Dorries, Mark Pritchard.
