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How is the race for Prime Minister shaping up? This is reported by political correspondent Daniel Hewitt
Labor says Boris Johnson is “running scared” after rejecting their motion for a vote of no confidence in the government, a move the party described as “unprecedented”.
Leader Sir Keir Starmer earlier confirmed he would table a motion for the vote to be held tomorrow – which could trigger a general election if the Tories lose – but the government is preventing that from happening.
A Labor spokesman said: “This claptrap government is running scared and refusing to allow time to debate a vote of no confidence in Labour.
“This is completely unprecedented. Once again the Tories are changing the rules to protect their own dodgy friends. All Tory leadership candidates must condemn this blatant abuse of power to protect a discredited Prime Minister.”
The government is rejecting the timing of a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons because Labour’s motion was not tabled in the normal way and added wording for a lack of confidence while the prime minister remains in office, ITV News understands.
Sources say Labour’s motion is in breach of convention, so the vote is being thrown out and would have passed if it had been tabled in the usual way.
Senior Labor backbencher Chris Bryant said Prime Minister Johnson was a “coward” for rejecting the offer.
The news came as Rishi Sunak surged forward in the race to become prime minister, having received the backing of a number of his former cabinet colleagues.
Mr Sunak has already secured his place on the ballot for Wednesday’s vote by securing the support of at least 42 Tory MPs, but only two others passed the 20 threshold.
Trade Secretary Penny Mordaunt, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and backbencher Tom Tugendhat have topped 20 nominations so will join Mr Sunak, but a number of others appear to be in contention.
Transport Minister Grant Shapps dropped out of the race on Tuesday morning after failing to secure enough public support from Tory MPs to continue and has backed Mr Sunak.
Rehman Chishti, a newly appointed Foreign Office minister who is largely unknown outside Westminster, also dropped out after failing to secure a single nomination.
The senior minister said on Twitter that he had chosen to back Mr Sunak because he had the “competence and experience” to be prime minister.
Ten candidates remain in the running to replace Prime Minister Johnson, but more Tory MPs are likely to drop out of the race by tonight.
Tory MPs will be voted on today and any candidates who do not receive 20 or more nominations from their peers will be eliminated from the race.
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Who will join Sunak, Mordaunt, Truss and Tugendhat on the ballot?
Former Equality Minister Kemi Badenoch, who officially launched her campaign on Tuesday, is close to crossing the threshold and looks likely to do so by the end of the day.
Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt and former health secretary Sajid Javid are lagging behind but still have a chance of gaining enough support to advance.
Mr Javid’s team says it is confident it will win enough nominations by the end of the day, as will that of Attorney General Suella Braverman.
Any challenger who does not garner at least 30 votes on Wednesday will be forced out.
A second ballot will follow on Thursday, with further ballots taking place next week until the shortlist of candidates is whittled down to the final two, who will then move to a postal vote for party members.
The final two will then spend the summer campaigning around the country before a winner is announced on September 5.
Speculation was rife that Home Minister Priti Patel would enter the race, but she pulled out just hours before nominations closed on Tuesday afternoon. She did not give her support to any of the candidates.
Cabinet colleagues Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries backed Mrs Truss, saying she was a “strong” backer of Brexit that would provide continuity for those who want Prime Minister Johnson to remain.
Labor plans a vote of no confidence in the government
With Prime Minister Johnson keen to remain in No 10 until a successor is appointed, Labor plans to move a vote of no confidence in the government in a bid to get rid of him early.
Confirming the plans, Opposition Leader Sir Keir told his shadow cabinet: “Labour is voting a vote of no confidence in this caretaker Prime Minister and his government.
“The Tory Party has finally come to the conclusion that the Prime Minister is not fit for office, that was blindingly obvious a long, long time ago. He is leaving because his own party has concluded that he cannot be trusted.
“Now they can’t let him stick around for weeks and weeks and weeks until September 5th. It would be unbearable for the country.”
As things stand, it looks like Labour’s request for time to debate and vote on the motion is being rejected.
This would have left Tory MPs with a difficult decision to make; many have publicly said that Mr Johnson does not have their support and should leave, but if they vote with Labour, it could trigger a general election that many polls show the Tories will lose.
Voting will require a simple majority to determine a winner.
If the vote is approved and the Tories vote, Parliament is likely to be dissolved and a general election called.
Alternatively, opposition parties could try to form a minority government on the basis that they can win a confidence vote in the House, but this is unlikely.
Rishi Sunak is getting support from former cabinet colleagues as he leads the race
Race favorite Mr Sunak, who was quick out of the blocks to announce his leadership bid with a slick video on Friday last week, has clearly done a lot of work to drum up support before officially announcing his candidacy.
The release of his campaign video was quickly followed by several senior Tories declaring their support for him.
The latest to back the former chancellor is Matt Hancock, the former health secretary who was forced to resign after a photo was published of him kissing a colleague.
It comes after Transport Minister Shapps dropped out of the race to back Mr Sunak.
Mr Shapps said: “A huge thank you to my team for helping me put my leadership application together in literally no time!
“Among a number of brilliant candidates, I spoke to @RishiSunak who I believe has the competence and experience to lead this country.”
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab also backed Mr Sunak to become Prime Minister.
Introducing Mr Sunak at his campaign launch, Raab said: “While others are talking, Rishi this month delivered the biggest tax cut for working people in a decade. He did it because he is a true conservative.”
Mr Sunak hit out at rival candidates when he launched his campaign, with the former chancellor the only candidate not to promise swift tax cuts.
He suggested their tax plans were “not credible” as he said he would only cut them once inflation was under control.
The MP for Richmond in Yorkshire said: “It is not credible to promise much more spending and lower taxes.
“I have had to make some of the hardest choices of my life as chancellor, in particular how to deal with our post-Covid debt and borrowing. I’ve never hid from them, I’m certainly not going to pretend now that the choices I made and the things I voted for weren’t somehow necessary.
“While this may be politically inconvenient for me, it is also the truth. As well as the fact that once we get inflation under control, it will reduce the tax burden. It’s a question of when, not if.”
Who is still in the running to replace Boris Johnson?
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Rishi Sunak, former chancellor
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Nadhim Zahawi, current chancellor
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Liz Truss, Foreign Secretary
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Sajid Javid, former health secretary
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Suella Braverman, Attorney General
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Kemi Badenoch, Equality Minister
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Tom Tugendhat, back bench
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Jeremy Hunt, former Health and Foreign Secretary
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Penny Mordaunt, Trade Secretary
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Rehman Chishti, Minister of Foreign Affairs
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