One of Boris Johnson’s closest allies has claimed the former Prime Minister is “clearly” standing to succeed Liz Truss.
Jacob Rees-Mogg’s comments come as Johnson and his former chancellor Rishi Sunak, the favourite to succeed Truss, held talks last night about a possible deal.
Tory MPs wishing to be a candidate in the race to become the next PM have to secure the support of 100 colleagues by tomorrow.
Sunak, who fell out badly with Johnson when he resigned from his Cabinet in the summer, is ahead and speculation has mounted he could win without a contest.
Penny Morduant is the only declared candidate so far but is struggling to get close to 100 backers.
Rees-Mogg, speaking to the BBC, said Johnson will stand. If he and Sunak receive the support of 100 MPs, Tory members would pick the winner in an online ballot on Friday.
He said: "I have been speaking to Boris Johnson, and clearly he's going to stand, there's a great deal of support for him.”
Johnson suffered a blow after MPs on the Right who would ordinarily back him came out for Sunak.
Kemi Badenoch backed Sunak today while hardliner Brexiteer Steve Baker savaged Johnson in relation to an ongoing probe into the party gate scandal:
“I’m afraid the trouble is because of the (Commons Privileges Committee) vote, Boris would be a guaranteed disaster.
He added: “It’s a guaranteed nailed-on failure and we cannot allow it to happen.”
Nadhim Zahawi, who was Johnson’s chancellor for a few weeks, backed his old boss:
“I’m backing Boris. He got the big calls right, whether it was ordering more vaccines ahead of more waves of Covid, arming Ukraine early against the advice of some, or stepping down for the sake of unity. But now, Britain needs him back. We need to unite to deliver on our manifesto.”
Conservative former cabinet minister Dominic Raab said he was not expecting a deal between Johnson and Sunak, who he is backing.
Asked if the pair had done a deal during Saturday’s meeting, Raab told BBC One’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “No, I don’t think there’s any issue around deals here and that’s not the right way to proceed.”
Pressed further, Raab said: “What would that deal involve?”
Whoever wins will be the third Prime Minister in as many months.
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