The Tory leadership race today plunged into bitter spats and lurched even further to the right as MPs fought for support ahead of a crunch vote.
Top right-wingers this morning were splintering between Liz Truss - seen by many as battling Penny Mordaunt for a spot in the final two - and her ‘woke warrior’ rival Suella Braverman.
Ex-leader Iain Duncan Smith and European Research Group chief Mark Francois backed Ms Truss while David Jones and Bernard Jenkin came out for Ms Braverman.
But only two candidates can go to a vote of 180,000 Tory members and Rishi Sunak is widely expected to be one of them.
The stiff competition helped push the race further to the right - with candidates threatening to leave the European Convention on Human Rights and ditch the BBC licence fee.
Mr Sunak and Nadhim Zahawi did not rule out ditching the fee - which was part of Tory plans from 2027 - while Mr Zahwi and Ms Truss did not rule out leaving the Convention, which helps guarantee peace in Northern Ireland.
MPs will hold their first of voting at 1.30pm and announce the result at 5pm - with any candidate who gets fewer than 30 votes being knocked out of the contest.
Eight rival candidates were jostling to make it through to the next round of voting tomorrow as years of internal party tensions burst into view.
Rishi Sunak was bizarrely forced to quote Margaret Thatcher to prove he was less right-wing, small-state, tax-cutting than his rivals.
No10 was believed to be behind a "Stop Rishi" campaign with Boris Johnson believing he had been betrayed by the former chancellor.
Right-winger Jacob Rees-Mogg said Ms Truss, the Foreign Secretary, was "fiscally on the right side of the argument", unlike Mr Sunak who he said had pursued "socialist" policies at the Treasury.
Hitting back, Mr Sunak said the Iron Lady would have backed his plan to cut taxes more slowly than rivals.
“We will cut and we will do it responsibly. That’s my economic approach. I would describe it as common sense Thatcherism. I believe that’s what she would have done," he told the Telegraph.
Boris Johnson’s Press Secretary denied anyone in No10 had either organised or taken part in an anti-Rishi Sunak campaign.
Mr Sunak was not the only leadership candidate to quote Baroness Thatcher.
Launching her campaign in a sweaty restaurant today, Penny Mordaunt - previously seen as moderate on social issues - leaned into trans and women’s rights as a “culture war” wedge issue.
Also quoting the ex-PM she said: "I think it was Margaret Thatcher who said every Prime Minister needs a Willy. A woman like me doesn't have one."
The hardline Brexiteer ERG group were meeting at lunchtime to decide which candidate to back.
While different members were split between Ms Truss and Ms Braverman, it would be a blow to current second place Ms Mordaunt if they united behind one candidate.
Mr Sunak topped 50 public backers today while Ms Mordaunt had 32, Ms Truss 26 and moderate Tom Tugendhat 21.
Ms Mordaunt announced a childcare funding policy but admitted it had no new cash. She also ruled out a snap general election if she wins and declined to say whether Boris Johnson was a good Prime Minister.
It came as a dirty tricks row overshadowed the race.
Tory sources suggested that Mr Sunak's campaign had "lent" trailing Jeremy Hunt support to get him on the ballot. Nadine Dorries accused Mr Sunak of pulling “dirty tricks”.
She tweeted: “This is dirty tricks/a stitch up/dark arts. Take your pick.
“Team Rishi want the candidate they know they can definitely beat in the final two and that is @Jeremy_Hunt”.
But Mr Hunt denied such claims telling Andrew Marr on LBC: “We are running completely independent campaigns.”
Nadhim Zahawi’s campaign was also spiked when the website NZ4PM.com redirected to Penny Mordaunt’s rival bid.
Growing numbers of Tory MPs now believe that trade minister Penny Mordaunt or foreign secretary Liz Truss will get through to the final round, facing Mr Sunak.
While Ms Mordaunt was narrowly in second place, her allies fear she will slip off the final ballot if right-wingers back Liz Truss.
One supporter said: “My fear is that the right will coalesce around Liz and push Penny into third place. That is the clear direction of travel.”
The supporter believed it would be "Penny or Liz" to face Rishi Sunak, adding: "It will be a clear choice between the change candidate and more of the same."
"Rishi's going to struggle with the members,” the MP went on. “Whoever is the anti-Rishi candidate has a really good chance of winning.”
