Downing Street hopes to delay any Conservative party leadership contest until October in a move that will hamper the campaigns of established candidates such as Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt and Sajid Javid.
As Tory contenders began manoeuvres this weekend to replace Theresa May after the third defeat of her Brexit deal, sources confirmed that those close to her will push for a new prime minister to be chosen after the party’s conference at the end of September.
While her allies insist this would give May a dignified exit, others point out it would give time to settle on a candidate from a younger generation to come through to take on the established rank of leadership hopefuls.
A second tier of contenders has emerged, which includes the Tories’ deputy chair, James Cleverly, who has been urged by colleagues to stand, sources said.
Other names being put forward include Tom Tugendhat, the chair of the foreign affairs select committee, and the former army captain Johnny Mercer.
They join Johnson, Hunt, Javid, Amber Rudd, Michael Gove, Gavin Williamson, Andrea Leadsom and Matt Hancock, who are considering standing.
An informed source said: “They might claim that this is being argued in the party to give May a good sendoff, but it looks like a way of cutting out the current candidates.
“It could backfire because pushing the decision back to Tory conference you are hampering any influence that a new PM might have to establish a new EU negotiating team before trade negotiations.”
Liz Truss, the chief secretary to the Treasury, the former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab and the former education secretary Justine Greening gave interviews or wrote articles setting out their views on policy issues.
Truss, who backed remain in the referendum, told the Sunday Times that cutting taxes for businesses and…
