TOP Tories including Jeremy Hunt, Dominic Raab and Michael Gove will today launch their official bids to become Prime Minister.
Leadership contenders have until 5pm to get the 8 MP backers they need to run.
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Today several are holding official launch events in central London to set out their stalls and woo over the public and other MPs.
But the debate on policy has been overshadowed by Michael Gove’s shock revelation that he did cocaine several times when he was younger.
He issued a grovelling apology yesterday and said he was lucky not to go to jail.
But he’s vowed to stay in the race and insisted he is “ready to become prime minister”.
At his launch this afternoon he will say: “We need a leader who is ready to lead from day one.”
Meanwhile, this morning frontrunner Boris Johnson has pledged to cut higher rates of income tax if he gets into No10.
The Tory leadership hopeful wants to use the money put aside for a No Deal Brexit to cut taxes for Brits earning bewteen £50,000 and £80,000, which he says will boost the economy.
But fellow leadership rival Andrea Leadsom warned that with a hung Parliament “it would be impossible to get wholesale tax changes through”.
Boris is set to officially kick off his campaign later in the week.
Dominic Raab will focus on climate change in his speech this morning with a package of proposals to develop clean energy and protect the environment.
“We’ve got to look to the future,” he will say.
“We’ve got to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.”
And Matt Hancock will commit to raising the living wage for poorer Brits.
He will say: “My mantra is ‘move fast and make things happen.”
Esther McVey released her campaign video today promising to stand up for Britain’s workers and pump more money into police and schools.
And Jeremy Hunt got a huge boost when Tory kingmaker Amber Rudd threw her weight behind him earlier to be leader.
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She said this morning: “These are serious times and we need a respected statesman who Brussels will listen to, not more bluster.”
But she gave a huge hint he promised her he would not change the time limit on abortions down to 12 weeks as the price for her support.
“There will be no change to abortion law if and when he becomes prime minister,” she told Radio 4 earlier.
“We need to make sure we always protect womens’ rights to choose.”
Mr Hunt will say later this morning: “This extremely serious moment calls for an experienced, serious leader. We need the art of tough negotiation, not the art of empty rhetoric.”
Timetable of Tory leadership election which will pick new PM
June 7: Theresa May stands down as party leader but will continue as PM until her successor is elected
June 10: Nominations for the leadership open 10am-5pm; candidates must have the support of eight MPs
June 13: First ballot of MPs, open 10am-12pm; any candidate with fewer than 13 votes eliminated
June 18: Second ballot (if needed), open 3pm-5pm; any candidate with fewer than 33 votes eliminated
June 19: Third ballot (if needed), open 3pm-5pm; candidate with fewest votes eliminated
June 20: Fourth ballot (if needed), open 10am-12pm; candidate with fewest votes eliminated – any further ballots needed will also take place on this day
June 22: Second stage begins where votes shift from MPs to party activists who will choose between final two candidates
July 22: Result announced this week, in time for Commons recess to begin
MPs need eight backers to get nominated and hand in their forms.
The first round of voting will take place on Thursday.
In the next round MPs will need the support of 17 of their colleagues, and 33 in the one after.
Several candidates are already struggling to get the numbers needed.
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