Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson hold talks as ex-chancellor leads PM race - BBC

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak person held talks arsenic they borderline person to the deadline for nominations successful the contention to regenerate Liz Truss.

Two abstracted sources told the BBC the gathering took place, but neither campy has disclosed what they discussed.

Rishi Sunak continues to forge up successful the enactment race, gathering the enactment of 128 MPs.

Mr Johnson is presently successful 2nd spot with 53 backers, according to the BBC's tally.

However his run claims helium has the enactment of 100 MPs - Mr Sunak's supporters raised doubts implicit this and called for the erstwhile PM to amusement proof.

Penny Mordaunt is the lone campaigner to officially state they are successful the race, but she lags down connected enactment with 23 MPs.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said that Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson had met connected Saturday evening, but she was not definite "if immoderate conclusions oregon quality was apt to travel retired of it tonight".

The BBC has been keeping a moving full of MPs who person gone connected the grounds with support.

The voting intentions of lone 204 retired of 357 Conservative MPs are presently known and person been verified by the BBC, leaving galore inactive to state their interest.

The hopefuls person until 14:00 BST connected Monday to state they person got the enactment of 100 MPs, qualifying them for the adjacent signifier of the race.

It volition past spell to an online ballot of the Conservative enactment membership, with the effect to beryllium announced connected Friday.

But if the party's MPs get down conscionable 1 candidate, we could person a caller premier curate by Monday afternoon.

Polling suggests Mr Johnson would beryllium favourite to triumph a members' vote.

Throughout Saturday, MPs were publically declaring enactment for their favoured candidate.

International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch earlier ruled herself retired of the race to beryllium the adjacent premier minister, throwing her value down Mr Sunak.

She joined a increasing database of Sunak backers, adjacent though the ex-chancellor has yet to officially state helium is standing.

Mr Sunak's supporters see erstwhile chancellor and wellness caput Sajid Javid, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and erstwhile lawman premier curate Dominic Raab.

Pointing to the parliamentary probe facing Mr Johnson, Mr Raab told the BBC: "We cannot spell backwards. We cannot person different occurrence of the Groundhog Day, of the soap opera of Partygate".

He said helium was "very confident" Mr Sunak would stand, adding: "I deliberation the captious contented present is going to beryllium the economy. Rishi had the close program successful the summertime and I deliberation it is the close program now."

Among supporters of Boris Johnson is erstwhile location caput Priti Patel who said helium could bring unneurotic a agreed squad and pb the UK to a stronger and much prosperous future.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg and Transport Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan person besides thrown their value down the erstwhile PM.

Meanwhile Andrea Leadsom, erstwhile concern secretary, said Ms Mordaunt was the unifying candidate; an experienced curate and a "robust Brexiteer".

Launching her run connected Twitter connected Friday, Ms Mordaunt said she would "unite our country, present our pledges and triumph the adjacent [general election]".

Mordaunt backer Conservative MP Bob Seely said "I deliberation we beryllium the state a corporate work to apologise" and said helium believes Ms Mordaunt has the champion accidental of providing "unity and leadership" wrong the party.

Mr Johnson's imaginable bid to instrumentality to powerfulness comes conscionable 7 weeks aft his last time successful No 10.

His successor, Liz Truss, is the UK's shortest-serving premier minister, stepping down aft 45 days successful power.

She stood down connected Thursday, aft a bid of humiliating U-turns forced connected her by an adverse absorption to her taxation policies successful the fiscal markets.