Grant Shapps has pulled out of the Conservative Party leadership contest and has thrown his support behind former Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
The Transport Secretary and Welwyn Hatfield MP launched his campaign to become the UK’s second Jewish prime minister on Sunday, gathering the support of eight colleagues, but on Tuesday morning ended his bid.
Announcing the move on Twitter, Mr Shapps wrote: “Huge thanks to my team for helping to pull together my leadership bid in literally no time! Amongst a field of brilliant candidates I've spoken to @RishiSunak who I believe has the competence and experience to lead this country.”
Had he won the leadership contest, Shapps would have been the first Jewish Tory leader since Michael Howard, and the UK's second Jewish prime minister after Tory Benjamin Disraeli.
Mr Shapps’s campaign had received backing from the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice.
Mr Shapps, 53, was elected as the MP for Welwyn Hatfield in 2005, became vice-chairman of the Conservative party in 2007 and was co-chairman of the party and Minister without Portfolio in David Cameron’s government from 2012 to 2015.
In 2019, he received his current Cabinet post from Mr Johnson.
A former president of the youth movement BBYO, he is a member of Potters Bar and Brookman Park United Synagogue.
In an interview with the JC in 2010 he said it was “absolutely inevitable” that the Palestinians would have to have their own state.
On Tuesday morning, Mr Sunak picked up endorsements from Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab while Jacob Rees-Mogg and Nadine Dorries backed Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.
Nominations for Conservative Party leader open and close today (Tuesday), and candidates require the backing of at least 20 of their colleagues to get through to the next ballot.
The first ballot will take place on Wednesday 13 July, between 1.30pm and 3.30pm, with the result being announced later that day.
Further rounds of voting will take place over the following days until just two remain by the time Parliament starts its summer recess on 21 July.
Candidates will then tour the country with a budget of £300,000 each to convince Conservative Party members to vote for them.
The winner will be announced on 5 September when Parliament returns from recess, and they will take over as the new prime minister the following day.
