The Conservatives are poised to change the rules for leadership elections to eliminate candidates with little support, a senior party source has told Sky News.
Sky’s chief political correspondent Jon Craig reports the change is likely to mean candidates will need the backing of eight MPs to enter the ballot, compared to the current total of just two.
In the ballot itself, candidates must win 5% of votes (17 MPs) to move on from the first round and 10% (33 MPs) to make it through the second round.
Under the current rules, only the candidate with the fewest number of votes is eliminated in each round.
A total of 12 candidates have put themselves forward to succeed Theresa May as party leader and prime minister.
Brexit minister James Cleverly earlier pulled out, saying it was “highly unlikely” he would have been one of the final two candidates put forward in a final vote of party members.
The number of hopefuls has provoked disquiet among some in the party, with one minister saying this week that the Tories cannot risk weeks of “navel-gazing” as the clock ticks down towards Brexit on 31 October.
The contest will formally begin on 10 June, with a series of ballots among Tory MPs. Once the field has been reduced to two candidates, party members will vote for the winner.
Mrs May will resign as party leader on Friday, with the contest expected to be completed towards the end of next month.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Health Secretary Matt Hancock, Home Secretary Sajid Javid and International Development Secretary Rory Stewart are all standing.
Former cabinet ministers Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, Andrea Leadsom and Esther McVey – as well as current housing minister Kit Malthouse and former chief whip Mark Harper – complete the line-up.
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