Suffolk's MPs are divided on who should replace Boris Johnson as prime minister – with no two yet backing the same candidate.
Since Boris Johnson resigned as Conservative party leader last week the race to replace him has been on.
So far 11 contenders have announced their candidacy to take over.
A host of hopefuls, including Nadhim Zahawi, Grant Shapps and Suella Braverman have announced tax-slashing pledges in an apparent bid to contrast themselves with his record as chancellor.
And in a surprise statement on Saturday, defence secretary Ben Wallace – widely tipped as the likely front-runner – said he had decided not to stand after “careful consideration”.
This is who Suffolk MPs are backing:
Therese Coffey - Backing Liz Truss
The Suffolk Coastal MP and work and pensions secretary, is backing the foreign secretary Liz Truss to become the next Conservative leader.
In fact, Dr Coffey was so keen to support her cabinet colleague that she tweeted her support for the South West Norfolk MP's candidacy several hours before it had been officially announced.
She wrote: "Proud to be backing my friend [Liz Truss] to be our next Prime Minister. We need a leader who can unite the Red and Blue Wall, has a clear vision for the country and economy, and has the skills and experience to get the tough decisions right.
"Liz’s delivery record in government is second to none. She has helped lead the international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, brokered dozens of post-Brexit trade deals that people thought would be impossible to do.
"Liz is our best chance of winning the next election."
Tom Hunt - Backing Kemi Badenoch
Ms Badenoch is MP for Saffron Walden and was a minister in the department for levelling up, housing and communities until she resigned last week. She has recently received high-profile backing from Michael Gove.
Mr Hunt said: “Kemi excites me more than the other candidates. She has the clearest vision. I’ve long been hugely impressed by Kemi.
"She is passionate, authentic and unashamedly patriotic. She will not duck the difficult decisions and will talk frankly and directly to the country about the challenges that lie ahead and what she believes we need to do to overcome them.
"I appreciate that she is less well known than some of the other candidates but I feel confident that the more people get to know about her the more they will like her. If Kemi were to win she would represent a fresh and exciting new era in British politics.
"She has strong support from across the Parliamentary Party and it’s interesting that senior figures such as Michael Gove are now getting behind her.”
James Cartlidge - Backing Rishi Sunak
James Cartlidge, South Suffolk MP and until last week a minister at the department for justice, is backing the former chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Mr Cartlidge, who worked as Mr Sunak's parliamentary private secretary during the Covid pandemic, tweeted to say: "Rishi's a leader with real integrity who will restore trust and bring our party, and more importantly our country, back together.
"He will make a fantastic prime minister."
Dan Poulter - Backing Jeremy Hunt
Dan Poulter, Central Suffolk and North Ipswich MP, is backing Jeremy Hunt to be the next prime minister.
Jeremy Hunt served in a variety of cabinet positions and stood to be Conservative leader against Boris Johnson in 2019. He resigned as foreign secretary and declined to serve in the cabinet after losing the leadership election.
Dr Poulter said: "Following a turbulent period, it is important that the Conservative party now chooses a leader with honesty, integrity, experience of high office, and who has a plan for the county.
"Jeremy Hunt was not part of the Boris Johnson Government and offers a fresh start for the country. He has experience of the biggest jobs in Government and a plan to deliver jobs and support businesses as well as to invest in our armed forces and public services.”
Peter Aldous - Undecided
Peter Aldous, Waveney MP, said he had not yet decided who he would be supporting.
Mr Aldous said: "It's a major decision for us and I'm just taking what little time I've got to mull over it."
He added that he would consider the candidate's ability to "address the cost-of-living crisis", "put into practice the levelling up agenda", "maximise the opportunities" from Brexit, work well with the private sector, and to "instil an ethos of prosperity, probity and integrity".
Matt Hancock - Undecided
A spokesman for Matt Hancock said Mr Hancock would declare who he is supporting soon.
Jo Churchill - Contacted for comment
Jo Churchill has been contacted for comment.
Who are the candidates?
Rishi Sunak
Age: 42.
Experience: was Chancellor of the Exchequer until July 5 when he quit in protest at the Prime Minister’s leadership.
Key message: The former chancellor has positioned himself as the candidate prepared to tell hard truths about the state of the public finances rather than “comforting fairy tales” – something that may not endear him to Tory MPs and activists eager for tax cuts.
Campaign name: Ready for Rishi.
Penny Mordaunt
Age: 49.
Experience: Currently Trade Minister, has Cabinet experience in the defence and international development briefs.
Key message: Her campaign launch video highlighted the need for “solemnity and wisdom” in contrast to the Johnson era. Ms Mordaunt, a Royal Navy Reservist, said leadership “needs to become a little less about the leader and a lot more about the ship”. She has pledged a 50% cut in VAT on fuel.
Campaign name: PM 4 PM.
Liz Truss
Age: 46.
Experience: Foreign Secretary.
Key message: She used a Daily Telegraph article to launch her bid, promising to “lead, deliver and make the tough decisions”. She has pledged to “start cutting taxes from day one”, reversing April’s rise in National Insurance and promising to keep “corporation tax competitive”.
Campaign name: Liz for Leader.
Sajid Javid
Age: 52.
Experience: Former chancellor. Was health secretary until he resigned on July 5.
Key message: He would scrap the National Insurance rise – despite campaigning for the extra funding it provides while health secretary – and has pledged to cut corporation tax to 15% from its current 19%, a full 10 percentage points lower than the planned rate of 25% from April 2023.
Campaign name: Team Saj.
Grant Shapps
Age: 53.
Experience: Currently in the Cabinet as Transport Secretary.
What’s his message: Another candidate promising tax cuts, he would take 1p off income tax and scrap the proposed increase in corporation tax. He has also highlighted his record as a campaigner and organiser to tell nervous Tory MPs “I can help you win your seat”.
Campaign name: Back Shapps.
Nadhim Zahawi
Age: 55.
Experience: Current Chancellor of the Exchequer.
Key message: Has promised that “nothing is off the table” when it comes to taxes, highlighting concerns about the planned increase to 25% and also hinting at bringing forward the cut 1p cut in income tax.
Campaign name: None.
Tom Tugendhat
Age: 49.
Experience: Never held ministerial office but chairs the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee.
Key message: A former Army Intelligence Corps officer, he has made a virtue of his lack of ministerial experience to promise a “clean start”. Has vowed to reverse the National Insurance rise and cut fuel tax.
Campaign name: Tom – A Clean Start.
Suella Braverman
Age: 42.
Experience: Current Attorney General.
Key message: She has promised “rapid and large tax cuts”. She would suspend net zero targets to deal with the energy crisis and pull the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Campaign name: Suella 4 Leader.
Jeremy Hunt
Age: 55.
Experience: Former foreign secretary, health secretary and culture secretary.
Key message: He has promised to slash corporation tax to 15% and remove business rates for five years in the poorest communities. But he would keep the National Insurance rise and any cut in income tax could only come if it was sustainable, with a growing economy.
Campaign name: Win Back Trust.
Kemi Badenoch
Age: 42.
Experience: Resigned as equalities minister and a minister in the Levelling Up department on July 6.
Key message: She wants lower taxes and “limited government” that focuses on the essentials. She appears to be targeting the anti-woke vote, complaining about “the shutting down of debate” and stressing the need to “reinvigorate the case for free speech”.
Campaign name: None.
Rehman Chishti
Age: 43.
Experience: Appointed as a junior foreign minister on July 8 and was Tory vice-chair in 2018.
Key message: He promised a Government of “lower taxes, small state, big society”. Mr Chishti said his vision was “about aspirational conservatism, it’s about fresh ideas and then it comes down to having a fresh team”.
Campaign name: None.
What happens now?
The 1922 committee is set to meet on Monday evening to set a timetable for the leadership election.
Bob Blackman, joint-executive secretary of the 1922 Committee, told Sky News: “We’ve got to slim down the list of candidates pretty quickly to two.
“And the one thing that we’re committed to do is to achieve getting to two candidates by Thursday July 21.
“That means that we’ll hold a succession of ballots over the next few days in order to get to that position.”
From there, the two final candidates will be voted on by Conservative party members.
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