Newspaper headlines: 'Tory rivals scramble' amid 'toxic smears'

1px transparent line
By BBC News
Staff
Reuters

Time for a look at the papers - many of which feature the Conservative leadership contest.

"Scorcher" is the headline for the Metro, as it reports that the race is heating up.

But with 11 contenders so far - and possibly more to come - the Financial Times says senior Tories are "plotting to rapidly thin out the field". The threshold to make it on to the ballot paper will be decided at a meeting of the 1922 committee of Conservative backbenchers, with the paper suggesting that the support of as many as 36 MPs could be required.

The Guardian thinks the figure will be 25.

The i reports that the former chancellor, Rishi Sunak, is the favourite to win the contest, but claims Tory MPs on the right of the party are seeking to block him.

The Times says Boris Johnson's allies are considering which contender is best placed to beat Mr Sunak, before deciding who to back. According to the paper, he is the "target of increasingly intense attacks by rivals, who blame him for putting up taxes".

One of Mr Johnson's most loyal supporters, the culture secretary, Nadine Dorries, tells the Daily Mail that Mr Sunak has been working with the former Downing Street aide, Dominic Cummings. Mr Sunak told the paper he had not spoken to Mr Cummings since the adviser left No 10 in late 2020.

Another candidate, the Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, has vowed to publish his tax returns if he makes it to the final two - according to the Daily Telegraph. In an interview with the paper, Mr Zahawi accuses his critics of using "dirty tricks" and denies that he has ever been contacted by the authorities as part of an investigation into his tax affairs.

Watch Boris Johnson Quits: What Next & More Questions on iPlayer.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss also appears in the Daily Telegraph - as she launches her bid to replace Boris Johnson. She says that "it isn't right to be putting up taxes now" and pledges "a long-term plan to bring down the size of the state and the tax burden".

The Times reports that Home Secretary Priti Patel is "highly likely" to join the race today - pitching herself as the only "authentic" Brexiteer who can lead the Conservatives. The paper says she will make a final decision after talking to Eurosceptic MPs.

Westminster isn't the only place that's heating up... "Hawaii Skive-O" says the front page of the Daily Star. It reports that a Saharan "tongue of fire" means Britain will be hotter than Honolulu today and claims 70% of people will be tempted to skip work to enjoy the warm weather.

The Times says Britain could see record high temperatures this week, with forecasters urging people to "stay in the shade, cover windows and check on vulnerable and elderly people".

The Daily Mail says more than a thousand British spies "put the UK at risk" by bragging about classified work on the social media website, LinkedIn. The paper says they made themselves potential targets from China and Russia.

And the Daily Mirror reports that toothbrushes could soon be replaced with "shape-shifting micro-robots". They are made of iron oxide nanoparticles that create a chemical reaction in the mouth. The paper says the micro-robots can "scrub, rinse and floss" teeth, and are aimed at making brushing easier for elderly or disabled people.