Johnson’s campaign team has said he has reached 100 nominations (Picture: Getty)
Boris Johnson’s campaign team has told supporters they have secured the 100 nominations needed for him to run for PM, it has been reported.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has sent a Whatsapp message to supporters confirming they have the numbers, according to The Sun’s political editor Harry Cole.
Mr Heaton-Harris told them: ‘OK everyone! Some very good news! Thanks to all your hard work I can confirm we have completed all the paperwork (verified all nominations, with proposer and seconder) to be on the ballot tomorrow.’
It comes after other Boris supporters including Transport Secretary Jacob Rees-Mog said that he would be campaigning to be back in Number 10.
The Business Secretary, an arch Johnson loyalist, told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: ‘I have been speaking to Boris Johnson, and clearly he’s going to stand, there’s a great deal of support for him’.
There has been speculation about whether the former PM will have enough support to make the final ballot, with allies of rival Rishi Sunak rubbishing claims he had already got the backing of the necessary 100 MPs.
Rishi Sunak was seen leaving his campaign office earlier today (Picture: Tayfun Salci/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
Mr Sunak has already got his 100 recommendations from other MPs (Picture: AFP)
This morning, Sunak officially joined Penny Mordaunt in entering the race – which Johnson is yet to do.
The former Chancellor has already gained the support of more than 100 Tory MPs, meeting the threshold needed to join the race.
But earlier today he declared his campaign to enter Downing Street, saying: ‘The United Kingdom is a great country but we face a profound economic crisis.
‘That’s why I am standing to be Leader of the Conservative Party and your next Prime Minister.
‘I want to fix our economy, unite our Party and deliver for our country.’
Many observers believe Johnson would beat Sunak if the contest goes to Tory party members, who polls suggest favour their old leader.
But all three candidates can see a route to winning the leadership, with Sunak hoping to tie up enough support among MPs to avoid going to the membership at all.
Both Mordaunt and Johnson would hope to beat Sunak in a vote among members, who rejected the former chancellor just weeks ago, when he faced off with Liz Truss.
She went on to become the shortest serving prime minister in British history when she resigned on Thursday.
Candidates need the backing of 100 MPs by 2pm tomorrow to make the final ballot. According to Guido Fawkes, Sunak currently has 153, Johnson 76 and Mordaunt 28. There are 357 Tory MPs.
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The former Prime Minister has told sources he has secured enough votes from MPs to enter the leadership contest