Former chancellor Rishi Sunak is leading the race to become the UK's next prime minister as Conservative MPs declare who they are supporting
Although Sunak hasn't officially said he is running, it's believed he will do so soon and he already has the backing of more than 100 Tory MPs
That's the threshold needed to get on the ballot, with nominations closing at 14:00 on Monday
Boris Johnson has travelled back to London from a Caribbean holiday as speculation grows that he will also run
Sources planning his possible campaign say he too has the required number of backers, but Sunak's supporters call for proof
Trade minister Sir James Duddridge said the former prime minister told him that he was "up" for making a bid to return as PM
Commons leader Penny Mordaunt is the only candidate officially in the race, but she is lagging behind on Tory MPs' public support
Thank you for joining us. Today's live page was edited by Emma Owen, John Hand, Dulcie Lee, Kevin Ponniah and Jennifer Meierhans.
Our writers were Emily McGarvey, Adam Durbin, Laura Gozzi, Jasmine Andersson and Malu Cursino.
We're now pausing our live coverage on the race to become the UK's next prime minister, following Liz Truss's resignation on Thursday.
Truss resigned as her position became untenable after economic policies announced by her government in its mini-budget caused market turmoil.
Here's a rundown of today's key headlines:
Tory MP Sir Roger Gale has been speaking to the BBC about his support for Penny Mordaunt as the next prime minister, because she is "a unifier, a team leader and a team player".
Sir Roger says Mordaunt is "a lady full of sympathy and empathy" but were she not to make the cut he would "cheerfully" support any other candidate who emerged as the leader - apart from Boris Johnson.
"My dream ticket would be Penny Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak in whichever order, together hopefully, with Jeremy Hunt as the chancellor who is doing an essential, vital and very good job."
Sir Roger says he would resign the whip if Boris Johnson became the next leader of the Conservative party, although he would remain a member of the party until the day he dies.
He says that Johnson's "casual relationship with the truth" makes him "unfit" for the top job, or "any office".
Sir Roger says having Johnson as PM would be a bad optic.
"A man who is under investigation by the privileges committee for misleading the House of Commons, which in common parlance means lying, is not a fit and proper person to be prime minister".
We've just heard that Conservative MPs Andrew Lewer and Justin Tomlinson have declared their support for Rishi Sunak to be the next prime minister.
That means Sunak has 127 supporters, Boris Johnson 53 and Penny Mordaunt 23.
These are figures that we've been able to verify as MPs have either told us on the record or announced it publicly.
As we've been reporting, we are in a watching-and-waiting phase, as more than half of Tory MPs have publicly declared who they'll support in the leadership race to become the UK's next prime minister.
Penny Mordaunt - 23 MPs
Mourdaunt remains the only candidate to officially declare she'll run.
George Freeman says Mordaunt is the right choice because the country needs "stability and unity, not a soap opera".
Andrea Leadsom, former business secretary, said Mordaunt was the unifying candidate; an experienced minister and a "robust Brexiteer".
Both Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson remain well ahead of Mordaunt in terms of declared supporters, but neither have publicly announced that they'll be running.
Boris Johnson - 53 MPs
Former home secretary Priti Patel says Johnson could bring together a united team and lead the UK to a stronger and more prosperous future.
And Johnson loyalist Nadine Dorries also added her support. "The boss is back", she said in a tweet.
Rishi Sunak - 125 MPs
International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch writes in an article in tomorrow's Sunday Times that Sunak "is the man for the job".
Bim Afolami told the BBC he is backing Sunak because he will enable "sustainable economic growth". Steve Barclay echoed Afolami, saying Sunak is in the best place to deal with the current economic challenges.
You can read our full list outlining who supports who here.
As things stand 201 out of 357 Tory MPs have publicly spoken out about who they're backing.
Here's the breakdown:
• Rishi Sunak - 125 MPs
• Boris Johnson - 53 MPs
• Penny Mordaunt - 23 MPs
The latest Tory MPs to pledge their support are Tim Loughton, Paul Holmes and Greg Knight, who have all backed Sunak.
These are the latest figures on MPs who have told the BBC on the record who they are backing, or MPs who have publicly declared their support.
We're running our own tally here.
Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
Image source, PA/ReutersWhy on earth would anyone - especially those seeking to lead the Conservative Party - want to be prime minister?
Well, you get a fancy Georgian house in central London, hundreds of staff, private travel and a chat with the King every week.
You even get the chance to do some good and improve people's lives. And whatever happens you'll have a place in history.
But why, right now, would anyone in their right mind put themselves through a leadership election so they can get the top job?
When I asked this question of an experienced former Downing Street staffer the answer comes: "I honestly could not answer it."
At the top of the gruesome list of issues that awaits the next prime minister is that the UK economy is in trouble.
The country has been getting poorer and the public are feeling it - or as one cabinet minister says: "We have all the same problems we have before and there is an economic crisis."
You can read my analysis in full here.
The race to become the UK's next prime minister continues, after Liz Truss announced her resignation on Thursday. As things stand, we're in a watching-and-waiting phase, but there's plenty going on behind the scenes as contenders jockey for position.
If you're just joining our live coverage, or in need of a catch-up, here's a rundown:
Image source, .Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg
As Kemi Badenoch comes out for Rishi Sunak, which is a big symbolic endorsement, I hear the two men, Boris Johnson and Sunak were due to meet a couple of hours ago, face to face.
The meeting was due to happen at 15:30, then pushed back until 17:30 for reasons unclear.
It could still happen later tonight, but it’s far from certain if it will happen, let alone if the two men can find a way of working together.
It's very hard to see how they could work together after recent, bitter history.
But it's very interesting they were even trying to make a meeting happen.
The BBC understands that Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson were due to meet face to face earlier this afternoon.
The meeting was pushed back from reasons that are not clear.
It was due to take place at 15:30, but may still go ahead later tonight.
Image source, Getty ImagesInternational Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch is the latest MP to declare her support for Rishi Sunak as the next Conservative party leader.
Badenoch took part in the leadership bid during the summer but did not get through to the last rounds. She is seen to be on right of the Conservative Party and was appointed trade secretary by Liz Truss last month.
She writes in a column in The Times, external that she believes Sunak "is the man for the job".
She says the UK now faces problems "so acute that only straight-talking about what is required will do".
Badenoch goes on to compare Margaret Thatcher's success to that of Sunak.
"Mrs Thatcher won the public’s trust and three elections in a row by making it about us, not about her. We need someone who can do the same. I believe that person is Rishi Sunak."
This just in: The only leadership contender to have officially entered the race will be interviewed by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg tomorrow morning.
Also on the show will be Labour leader Keir Starmer.
You can watch live on BBC One and iPlayer from 09:00 - and we'll have live coverage here on the BBC News website too.
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We've been hearing from more and more Tory MPs in the last few hours as they declare who they are backing.
Health minister Robert Jenrick - a Sunak backer - told followers it was "not the right time" for Boris Johnson to return.
Johnson's former housing secretary said while "there may be another time for Boris", "the stakes could not be higher" for the UK, and Sunak was the best person to provide "serious, competent leadership".
"We should not forget that 43 days ago the party removed Boris Johnson as serious issues engulfed his premiership," he said. "Some of these remain unresolved."
It echoes a warning this weekend from Dominic Raab, who served as Johnson's deputy PM and is also a prominent backer of Sunak.
Raab said while he respected and liked Johnson, an MP-led inquiry into whether the former PM misled Parliament over the partygate scandal would hang over him.
"We’d be back in the sort of Groundhog Day of partygate. We've got to have the country and the government moving forward," Raab told Times Radio.
Johnson could be suspended from Parliament or even lose his seat if the Privileges Committee investigating the matter rules against him.
Image source, Getty ImagesIt seems odd, given the amount of briefing being done by both the Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson camps, but the only candidate who is officially in the running so far to become the next Tory leader - and hence, our next prime minister - is Penny Mordaunt.
And she's been setting out her pitch on social media.
In a campaign video posted to her Twitter account earlier said to reveal "the real me", Mordaunt showcases her home city of Portsmouth - with a particular focus on its connection to the Royal Navy. She also emphasises her experiences relying on the NHS and of times her family has been "short of money".
Oh, she also finds time to say she enjoys "a pie and a pint".
Mordaunt is re-using the hashtag from her unsuccessful run to be Tory leader this summer - #PM4PM.
Tory MP Lee Anderson says he is backing Boris Johnson after the former PM called him earlier today.
The MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire - a seat in the so-called "Red Wall" - posted a selfie as well as a photo of Johnson apparently on the phone with him, giving a thumbs up.
Anderson wrote: "My Choice. Boris Johnson just called me.
"We have had a long chat about everything past and present. My inbox is full of BBB [bring back Boris]. I am drawing a line under it. Boris has my support."
As we've just reported, there is deep scepticism in the Sunak camp over whether Boris Johnson really has the support of 100 Tory MPs needed to get on Monday's ballot.
Sunak supporter Richard Holden MP casts doubt on the claim on Twitter, responding to a journalist wondering why Johnson's supposed backers have not come out publicly by saying: "It's because they don't exist."
Meanwhile, Sunak backer Bim Afolami MP told LBC that if Johnson's camp have 100 names then they should publish them: "We've got to be transparent about who's supporting who.
"On Rishi's side we're well over the 100 nominations required and we are very clear about who's supporting him."
Chris Mason
Political editor
Supporters of Rishi Sunak are deeply sceptical of Boris Johnson’s camp claiming he has the backing of more than 100 MPs.
They are demanding he publishes a list of those who are backing him.
The immediacy of the scepticism is a reminder of what a return to the fray by Johnson represents — passionate, full-throated enthusiasm from those behind him, and cynicism from those who aren't, including on the Conservative benches.
It is also striking that Johnson’s team say their claimed amount of support means he "could" be on the ballot — they are not yet definitively committing to a desire to be so, even if they do have the numbers.
He’s only likely to want to be on the ballot if he’s reasonably confident he can win.
We've got under 48 hours to go until nominations for the next Conservative Party leader and prime minister close.
Hopeful candidates have until Monday at 14:00 BST to find 100 backers.
Here is a reminder of how the process will unfold over the next week:
Image source, .
Helen Catt
Political correspondent
We are now almost two days into the leadership contest and we haven't heard directly from any of the three people who reportedly want to be the prime minister in less than a week's time.
This is - due to time and speed - a leadership contest that is being fought almost exclusively behind closed doors.
Of course, we heard a lot from Rishi Sunak, and some from Penny Mordaunt, over the summer during weeks of televised debates and hustings.
The main dividing line of that contest, though, was the economy; that argument has been pretty comprehensively settled.
So what's the big vision now?
As for Boris Johnson, if he decides to run, we know what he did in government but what would he do and, crucially, do differently, second time around?
A live TV hustings has been promised, if there are two candidates left in the contest.
But if only one clears the bar for nominations - or others were to drop out - the remaining candidate could become prime minister without that happening.
A source in Boris Johnson's campaign team claims 100 Tory MPs are backing the former PM - but they haven't released the names of these backers and it is double the number who have gone on the record to support him.
Currently 186 out of 357 Tory MPs - about half - have gone public.
Here's how it breaks down:
In our counting, we are only including MPs who have told the BBC on the record who they are backing, or MPs who have publicly announced their support.
See our full tally here.