The race to replace Boris Johnson has entered its final hours, with the two contenders said to be “neck and neck”.
Voting will close at 5pm on Friday before either Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak is announced as the new Conservative leader and prime minister on Monday.
A Tory MP claimed Mr Sunak is not “cut and dried” but probably “neck and neck” with his rival, who is widely expected to be the new leader.
Kevin Hollinrake, a supporter of the former chancellor and MP for Thirsk and Malton, told Sky News: “I’ve seen some of the polls and national polls. I think it’s quite hard for pollsters to determine who is a Conservative member and who is not because there’s not an open database.
“But I know who mine are. I polled my 700 members, 239 of them responded, so about a third of them responded, and Rishi got an eight-point lead.
“And I’ve seen similar kind of polls around different constituencies around the country. So I don’t think he’s cut and dried. I think he’s probably neck and neck.”
Mr Sunak and Ms Truss made their final leadership pitches to Conservative members at leadership hustings in London on Wednesday, with the debate dominated by the rising cost of living.
Frontrunner Ms Truss claimed there would be no new taxes or energy rationing if she became prime minister, and dropped further hints about cost-of-living support this winter.
Mr Sunak has sought to portray himself as the candidate with a more realistic assessment of the way to approach the economy, with tax cuts not expected immediately if he becomes leader.
He told the audience at the final hustings that “we shouldn’t rule anything out” on energy rationing, and has previously said it would not be “moral” to leave struggling households without extra support this winter.
The leadership contest has been characterised by infighting among Conservative MPs, with blue-on-blue attacks continuing up until the final days.
On Thursday, Conservative former minister Michael Gove, who is backing Mr Sunak, described his rival Ms Truss’ pledge to not introduce new taxes as “foolish”.
But a Tory former chief whip said it was still possible for the party to reunite without damage following the contest.
Mr Johnson’s term of office was rocked by the Partygate scandal and ultimately brought to an end over how he handled allegations of inappropriate behaviour by former Conservative whip Chris Pincher.
Fresh allegations of misconduct were brought to light on Thursday night, with Sky News reporting one woman had been assaulted by a cabinet minister, while another was groped by a senior No 10 aide.
As he counts down his final days in office, Mr Johnson has committed £700m of government investment towards a new nuclear power station in Suffolk, Sizewell C.
The prime minister hit out at the “paralysis” and “short-termism” of successive governments over nuclear power, as he stressed the importance of Sizewell C for the UK’s long-term energy supply while fuel bills continue to soar.
He added he was confident a deal to fund the power station will get “over the line” in the coming weeks after he has resigned.
Additional reporting by Press Association
