Welsh Tory MP calls for Tory leadership hopefuls with no support to quit race

Glyn Davies said any candidate with fewer than ten supporting MPs should drop out

Candidates with no chance of becoming Prime Minister should quit the Conservative leadership race, Welsh Tory MP Glyn Davies has said.

Theresa May steps down on Friday and 13 Conservative MPs so far have put themselves forward to succeed her.

Currently, MPs only require the backing of two parliamentary colleagues to stand in the leadership race.

The Montgomeryshire MP said: "Any candidate without at least 10 supporting MPs should drop out now."

Mr Davies' comments follow similar from James Brokenshire, the communities secretary.

Senior Conservatives will meet on Monday afternoon to discuss whether to change the rules so potential candidates need more supporters to begin their bid.

A final decision will be made by the executive of the backbench 1922 Committee on Tuesday.

After nominations close, all 313 Conservative MPs will vote for their preferred candidate in a series of polls that will whittle down the contenders one by one.

Some MPs are keen to reduce the number of hopefuls swiftly, since the wider Tory membership of 124,000 will only vote on two candidates.

Mr Davies said: "It's great that so many of my Conservative colleagues aspire to the leadership of our great country. But we need to bring the process to a conclusion as quickly as possible. Any candidate without at least 10 supporting MPs should drop out now."

"The UK is a divided country, and we must move quickly to bring the EU membership debate to a conclusion," he said.

"There are nuanced differences around leaving without a deal, but we all want a deal. And we know that if Parliament will not agree a deal, there may have to be a General Election, which will increase uncertainty and lead to even more chaos.

"Every MP has a responsibility to resolve the way forward before 31 October, whether we actually leave on that date or not. It's time for decisions."

Tory endorsements

Meanwhile, the former Welsh Secretary Stephen Crabb says he's backing Home Secretary Sajid Javid to be next PM.

On Twitter the Preseli Pembrokeshire MP said: "In every job he has done in Government, Sajid Javid has shown he can galvanise the machine and get tough decisions through. He is a skilled negotiator and has a true passion for One Nation ideals."

Mr Javid backed Mr Crabb's bid for the Tory leadership in July 2016.

MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Simon Hart announced that he is supporting Boris Johnson.

On Twitter, Mr Hart said it was "vital we choose right leader for the current times. That means an orderly brexit, restoring hope and saving the U.K. from the horrors of the hard left."

He added the "truth is that only one person, Boris Johnson has a realistic chance of success."