And they’re off! From Brexiteers to Remainers, who’ll be first past the post if Boris blows it
100/1 Steve Baker PEDIGREE:
47. Never knowingly undersold, having described himself as a ‘Brexit hardman’. Cornishman now decamped to Home Counties.
STABLING:
Oxfordeducated RAF Flight Lieutenant who became a software engineer.
FORM:
Henchman of Mrs May’s nemesis, the European Research Group. His style has been likened to a man who enjoys torturing insects.
STRENGTH:
Obsession for a No Deal Brexit is unsurpassed. Popular among grassroots.
WEAKNESS:
Zealous approach has invited ridicule.
ODDS:
Not even in ConservativeHome’s latest 26- strong leadership list.
6/1 Dominic Raab PEDIGREE:
45. Former Brexit Secretary. Diehard Brussels-baiter.
STABLING:
Son of a Jewish Czech-born refugee who fled to Britain in 1938. Oxford and Cambridge-educated solicitor before becoming an MP.
FORM:
Failed to use his renowned judo skills to outfox EU panjandrums and lasted just five months as Brexit Secretary.
STRENGTH:
Fans call him ‘the male Margaret Thatcher’.
WEAKNESS:
Often seems cold and lacks people skills. Recent photo-call in his kitchen with a vase of lilies was a creepy PR stunt.
ODDS:
Second in ConservativeHome’s league table, with 15 per cent of votes.
5/4 Boris Johnson PEDIGREE:
54. Former Foreign Secretary and blond figurehead of Britain’s second most famous family.
STABLING:
New York-born. Schools: Camden and Eton. University: Oxford. First job: Brussels (but sacked from his posting there with The Times).
FORM:
Elected twice, against the odds, as mayor of Labourheavy London.
STRENGTH:
Charismatic and the darling of the Tory grassroots like Tarzan Heseltine was years ago. But look what happened to Hezza!
WEAKNESS:
Unpopular among fellow MPs. A ‘Stop Boris’ campaign is under way.
ODDS:
Overwhelming favourite.
66/1 Esther McVey PEDIGREE:
51. Former Welfare Secretary. An ardent Brexiteer.
STABLING:
As a child, spent her first two years in foster care. Was a breakfast TV presenter before becoming an MP.
FORM:
As a minister was subjected by Labour to appalling ‘lynch Esther McVey’ abuse over the rollout of the Universal Credit system. Part of a Westminster power couple with her fiance, fellow MP Philip Davies.
STRENGTH:
Won plaudits for resigning from Cabinet over Brexit. Tough, telegenic and Liverpudlian.
WEAKNESS:
Some colleagues say she is as flyaway as her hair – and too glossy.
ODDS:
Ranked 14th in the league table.
20/1 Penny Mordaunt PEDIGREE:
46. First female Defence Secretary. Supported Leave before referendum.
STABLING:
Cared for younger brother after their mother died. Worked as a magician’s assistant to pay for college.
FORM:
Only female MP to be a Royal Naval Reservist.
STRENGTH:
Has a strong sense of duty and popular among service veterans.
WEAKNESS:
Inexperienced, having been in Cabinet for less than two years. Still trying to live down her belly-flop on the ITV reality TV diving show Splash!
ODDS:
16th in the ConservativeHome league table.
12/1 Andrea Leadsom PEDIGREE:
56. Former Environment Secretary. Resigned this week as Leader of the Commons. Ardent Brexiteer.
STABLING:
Former City trader. Mother of three.
FORM:
Struggled in her first Cabinet post as Environment Secretary but blossomed as Leader of the Commons. Her spats with Speaker John Bercow merited £100 ringside seats.
STRENGTH:
Praised for resigning on Wednesday, triggering Mrs May’s defenestration.
WEAKNESS:
Her maladroit campaign to be leader in 2016 included a deeply insensitive comment about Mrs May being childless.
ODDS:
ConservativeHome table had her top for competency
10/1 Michael Gove PEDIGREE:
51. Environment Secretary. Intellectual titan and Brexiteer paterfamilias.
STABLING:
Adopted son of a Scottish fish merchant. Became a high profile journalist on The Times.
FORM:
Big beast in the 2016 Leave campaign. Has been so loyal to Mrs May that he’d have made a perfect guard dog at No 10.
STRENGTH:
Often wheeled out for interviews, being a debater with razor sharp skills.
WEAKNESS:
Still haunted by claims of disloyalty after knifing Boris Johnson in last leadership contest.
ODDS:
Third in Conservative Home league table with 8.4 per cent of the vote.
50/1 Liz Truss PEDIGREE:
43. Chief Secretary to Treasury. Remainer who would now vote Brexit.
STABLING:
Raised by Left-wing parents who took her on antiThatcher protests.
FORM:
Unrelenting advocate of cutting red tape. Once said ‘the British are among the worst idlers in the world’.
STRENGTH:
Freemarketeer whose social media activity is popular among young Tories.
WEAKNESS:
Poor public speaker. Image-obsessed and accused by some of using Downing Street as a catwalk. Posed for a recent fashion shoot for a Sunday glossy.
ODDS:
Risen to 7th in the league table.
100/1 Sir Graham Brady PEDIGREE:
52. Supported Brexit before referendum.
STABLING:
Grammar school-educated. Worked in public affairs before being elected in 1997.
FORM:
Resigned as chairman of the backbench 1922 Committee this week to run for leader.
STRENGTH:
Authoritative figure who gained respect for marshalling backbenchers.
WEAKNESS:
Lacks grassroots support. Bland in the extreme, typified by his own description on his website: ‘Graham enjoys gardening but likes to spend as much spare time as possible with his children.’
ODDS:
Sits at 19th in the league table.
25/1 Sajid Javid PEDIGREE:
49. Home Secretary. Remainer who changed his spots to Brexit after referendum.
STABLING:
Often reminds voters he’s the son of a bus driver who came to Britain from Pakistan and ‘worked every hour God sent’. First person from an Asian background to hold one of the great offices of State.
FORM:
Lifted cap on immigration for NHS doctors and nurses but says there is ‘nothing racist about managed migration’.
STRENGTH:
An extraordinary personal story. Would be Britain’s first (non-practising) Muslim PM.
WEAKNESS:
Wooden speaker. Lacks charisma.
ODDS:
5th in the league table.
14/1 Jeremy Hunt PEDIGREE:
52. Foreign Secretary. A Remainer who converted to Brexit. First Cabinet member to tell May to scrap Brexit bill this week.
STABLING:
Eldest son of Admiral Sir Nicholas Hunt. Married to a Chinese wife whom he accidentally referred to as Japanese. Worth around £15million after selling publisher he set up before politics.
FORM:
Longest serving Health Secretary in history.
STRENGTH:
Has few enemies. Colleagues believe he could unite party on Brexit.
WEAKNESS:
Some regard him as a ‘bit of a drip’.
ODDS:
4th place in ConservativeHome league table.
50/1 Matt Hancock PEDIGREE:
40. Health Secretary with six years’ ministerial experience. Former arch Remainer who supported May’s bill.
STABLING:
Father lived in a council house. Worked in family’s computer software business before becoming key aide to Chancellor George Osborne.
FORM:
Cabinet minister for 18 months. Launched his own ‘Matt Hancock’ smartphone application.
STRENGTH:
Enthusiastic and brainy. His youth is said to appeal to those who – in the cliche – wish to ‘skip a generation’.
WEAKNESS:
Crassly likened himself to Churchill.
ODDS:
Sits at 12th in the league table.
25/1 Rory Stewart PEDIGREE:
46. International Development Secretary and former Prisons minister. Staunch defender of May’s deal.
STABLING:
While at Oxford he tutored Princes William and Harry. Was a regional governor in Iraq after Coalition invasion. Cruelly nicknamed ‘Florence of Arabia’.
FORM:
Declared his leadership ambitions before even in the Cabinet.
STRENGTH:
Untainted by fellow ministers’ failure over Brexit.
WEAKNESS:
Most inexperienced candidate. Unpopular with hard Brexiteers.
ODDS:
Edged into 6th in ConservativeHome league table.