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Theresa May will set out the timetable for the election of a new Conservative Party leader in June, the 1922 committee has announced.
Her imminent departure has seen a number of high-profile figures throw their hat into the ring for the leadership battle.
On Thursday, Boris Johnson added his name to the growing list of candidates vying to take over as next Tory party leader.
Below, the Standard look at some of those who have confirmed they are standing, and others who are likely to join the contest.
Boris Johnson
Prominent Brexiteer and former foreign secretary Boris Johnson has announced a bid to take over as Tory leader.
On Thursday the BBC reported he had told The British Insurance Brokers’ Association: “Of course I’m going to go for it.”
He resigned from the cabinet in July in protest at her handling of the Brexit negotiations.
The Old Etonian was one of the key players in the 2017 Leave campaign and resigned from the Cabinet following the Chequers summit in July.
He set out his pitch to the membership in a speech at the party’s annual conference in October, where some members queued for hours to get a seat, and called on the party to return to its traditional values of low tax and strong policing.
He is the bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Mrs May.
Esther McVey
The pro-Brexit former television presenter resigned as work and pensions minister in November in protest at Mrs May’s handling of Brexit.
The Eurosceptic previously announced she plans to run in the leadership contest.
She told Talkradio: “I have always said quite clearly that if I got enough support from my colleagues, yes I would (run).
“Now people have come forward and I have got that support, so I will be going forward.”
Andrea Leadsom
A pro-Brexit campaigner and leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom made it to the last two in the 2016 contest to replace David Cameron.
However, she withdrew after a backlash to an interview in which she said being a mother gave her more of a stake in the future of the country than her rival Mrs May.
She recently told ITV she was “seriously considering standing” to replace Mrs May.
Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart has been open about the fact he would like to be Tory leader, but has said he opposes Mrs May resigning.
A former diplomat who once walked 6,000 miles across Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal, Mr Stewart was promoted to International Development Secretary after holding several junior ministerial positions.
Educated at the exclusive Eton College, he was first elected to parliament in 2010 and backed remaining in the EU in the 2016 referendum.
He opposes a ‘no deal’ Brexit and has been a vocal advocate of the PM’s deal with Brussels.
“I do want to bring this country together … I accept Brexit, I am a Brexiteer, but I want to reach out to ‘Remain’ voters as well,” he told the BBC.
Michael Gove
Michael Gove, one of the highest-profile Brexit campaigners during the 2016 referendum, has had to rebuild his cabinet career after falling early to Mrs May in the last leadership contest.
Seen as one of the most effective members of cabinet in bringing forward new policies, the high-energy environment minister has become a surprise ally to the PM and has backed her Brexit strategy.
He teamed up with Boris Johnson during the 2016 Brexit campaign only to pull his support for Mr Johnson’s subsequent leadership bid at the last moment and run himself.
However, he has not yet said whether he plans to run in the next race.
David Lidington
Mrs May’s de facto deputy is seen by some as the natural caretaker prime minister.
However, he has been clear he does not want the job.
“One thing that working closely with the Prime Minister does is cure you completely of any lingering shred of ambition to want to do that task,” he said on Sunday.
William Hill are offering odds of 6-1 for the 62-year-old MP to be the next PM.
Jeremy Hunt
Jeremy Hunt has not announced a leadership bid but, when asked at a lunch with journalists in parliament if he planned to do so, he said: “Wait and see.”
Mr Hunt replaced Boris Johnson as foreign minister in July and has urged the Conservative membership to set aside their differences over Brexit.
He voted to remain in the EU in the referendum and previously served six years as Britain’s health minister.
Dominic Raab
The former Brexit minister quit that high profile role last year in protest at her draft Brexit agreement.
He said it did not match the promises the Conservative Party made in the 2017 election and left having served only five months as head of the Brexit department.
When previously asked if he would like to be prime minister, he said: “Never say never.”
Sajid Javid
Sajid Javid has not said whether he plans to run but is considered to have been setting out his stall through speeches and media interviews.
A former banker and a champion of free markets, he has served a number of cabinet roles and scores consistently well in polls of party members.
He voted Remain in the 2016 referendum but was previously considered to be eurosceptic.
David Davis
David Davis previously told a magazine he would probably be Conservative Party leader if standing for the role were like applying for a job as chief executive.
“But … that isn’t the way the decision is done,” he said.
A leading eurosceptic, was appointed Brexit minister to lead negotiations with the EU in July 2016.
However, he resigned two years later in protest at May’s plans for a long-term relationship with the bloc.
He previously ran for the party’s leadership in 2005 but lost to David Cameron.
He has not confirmed a run this time out.
Penny Mordaunt
Penny Mordaunt is one of the last remaining pro-Brexit members of Mrs May’s cabinet and became Britain’s first female defence secretary this month.
A Royal Navy reservist, she was previously international development minister though many expected her to join the wave of resignations that followed the publication of Mrs May’s draft withdrawal deal.
She is being touted to run but has not announced an intention to do so.
Amber Rudd
Amber Rudd is another name in the mix for the leadership.
She resigned as interior minister last year, after facing outrage over her department’s treatment of some long-term Caribbean residents wrongly labelled illegal immigrants.
She backed remain in 2016 and has opposed a ‘no deal’ Brexit, meaning she could win support from pro-EU Conservative lawmakers.
However, she struggled to retain her seat at the 2017 election and has one of the smallest majorities in parliament.
Matt Hancock
Remainer and health minister Mr Hancock, a former economist at the Bank of England is rumoured to consider running.
He supported ‘Remain’ in 2016 and was first elected to parliament in 2010, holding several ministerial roles since.
Justine Greening
The former education minister told ITV she would consider running.
A supporter of a second Brexit referendum, many thought she might join several of her colleagues in quitting the party to form a pro-EU group in parliament earlier this year.
Liz Truss
Chief secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss is another potential candidate having held several roles in government including environment minister and justice minister.
She backed Remain in 2016 but has said she has since changed her mind on Brexit.
Graham Brady
Graham Brady is chair of the 1922 Committee of Conservative lawmakers and has been in discussions with Mrs May over when she will leave.
He has been linked to a bid but said it would be something he would need urging to do.
“It would take an awful lot of people to persuade me. I’m not sure many people are straining at the leash to take on what is an extraordinarily difficult situation,” he told BBC Radio.
Gavin Williamson
Williamson, who was recently sacked as defence secretary, has spoken of his leadership ambitions in the past.
He strenuously denied allegations that he was behind the leak of top secret talks about Chinese tech giant Huawei.
However, his stock has fallen significantly given the furore around it.
Despite this, he has a level of political pedigree and has been critical of Mrs May’s leadership, so there remains a chance he could make a bid.
