Home Secretary Priti Patel has ruled herself out of the Tory leadership race to replace Boris Johnson after spending days mulling over whether to stand.
The minister on the right of the party said she would not be standing just hours before the deadline for the first hurdle of securing nominations from 20 Conservative MPs.
She made the announcement after Cabinet allies Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries gave their backing to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as the Brexiteers’ candidate.
In a statement, Ms Patel said: “I am grateful for the encouragement and support colleagues and party members have offered me in recent days in suggesting that I enter the contest for the leadership of the Conservative Party.
“I will not be putting my name forward for the ballot of MPs.
“Like all Conservative MPs and party members, I will be listening to cases being put forward by the candidates standing for the leadership of the party, and trust the contest will be conducted in a good spirit that brings our party together.”
Sources close to Ms Patel would not disclose the reasons behind her decision, nor would they indicate who she is likely to back as the next prime minister.
She has been dogged by bullying allegations in the past, claims she denies, and there have been warnings against crowding out right-wing candidates.
Not being in the race will put her in an influential position in trying to drum up support for another hopeful, which would be one way to boost her chances of remaining in the Cabinet.
Ms Dorries and Mr Rees-Mogg, the Brexit opportunities minister, came out in support for Ms Truss after attending the Cabinet meeting of caretaker Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The Culture Secretary told reporters in Downing Street that Ms Truss, who voted to remain in the 2016 referendum, is probably a “stronger Brexiteer than both of us”.
Tory right-winger Steve Baker warned a day earlier of a “grave danger of fragmentation” if Ms Patel and others ran.
