Andrea Leadsom's bid receives a last-minute boost with the backing of Boris Johnson, but Theresa May remains the front runner.
Conservative MPs will vote today in the first ballot of the Tory leadership race after Boris Johnson backed fellow Leave campaigner Andrea Leadsom to succeed David Cameron.
Mrs Leadsom, the energy minister, is running alongside front runner Theresa May, and three other candidates: Michael Gove, Liam Fox and Stephen Crabb.
The former London mayor's support for Mrs Leadsom's campaign is widely seen as an act of revenge against Mr Gove, who was expected to back Mr Johnson's own bid for the Tory leadership following the EU referendum.
But in announcing his support for Mrs Leadsom, Mr Johnson said she had "the zap, the drive and the determination" to lead the country.
He added: "She has long championed the needs of the most vulnerable in our society.
"She has a better understanding of finance than almost anyone else in Parliament. She has considerable experience of government.
"She is level-headed, kind, trustworthy, approachable and the possessor of a good sense of humour.
"Above all she possesses the qualities needed to bring together leavers and remainers in the weeks and months ahead."
Some 330 MPs will vote in a secret ballot throughout the day, overseen by the backbench 1922 Committee and its chairman Graham Brady.
The candidate with the fewest votes will be eliminated, before another ballot is held on Thursday.
The process is repeated until there are just two candidates remaining, when 150,000 party members across the country will make their choice by postal ballot.
Sky News believes Theresa May has the backing of at least 105 MPs, with Mrs Leadsom garnering the support of 32 MPs.
Mr Gove is struggling to match Mrs Leadsom's support, with 23 supporters, the same number as Mr Crabb, who is pitching himself as the anti-establishment candidate.
Mr Fox is in the danger zone, with just six MPs publicly backing the former Defence Secretary.
Mrs May has seen her campaign boosted with the support of a number of prominent Tory MPs, including Cabinet minister Liz Truss and backbencher David Davis.
On Monday she received the most vocal support in the 1922 Committee hustings for the new Prime Minister.
Sky's Political Editor Faisal Islam said: "At 1922, Theresa May got most vocal backing, as you'd expect.
"Leadsom won fans, but May's backers seized on A50 (article 50) timing change.
"Intriguingly Gove at 1922 not questioned about what he did to Boris, but was questioned more than once about role of adviser Cummings."
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