Who’s who in Tory leadership contest?

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The race for the Conservative leadership is gathering pace with 13 contenders now declared in the contest to succeed Theresa May in No 10.

Here are the leadership runners and riders:

POLITICS Tories
(PA Graphics)

Tories
The prominent Leave campaigner is the front-runner (Brian Lawless/PA)

On Brexit, he has said he is ready to walk away without a deal if the EU is not prepared to renegotiate the terms of the UK’s withdrawal – with a cut-off date of October 31.

On other issues, he has said he would spend at least £5,000 on every secondary school pupil in a drive to “level up” the education system.

– Jeremy Hunt

Tories
Mr Johnson’s replacement as Foreign Secretary hopes to appeal to centrist Tories (Victoria Jones/PA)

He has been accused of flip-flopping on Brexit after he warned no-deal would be political suicide for the Conservatives as Parliament could force a General Election – although he has since said he would support it as a last resort.

Mr Hunt has called for a big increase in defence spending after Britain leaves the EU to counter rising global threats.

– Dominic Raab

Tories
The former Brexit secretary wants to renegotiate with Brussels (Steve Parsons/PA)

He has said he would like to negotiate a new deal with Brussels – including scrapping the Irish backstop – but the UK must leave by the end of October, with or without an agreement.

Mr Raab has also positioned himself as the consumers’ champion, promising to take on the energy giants, mobile phone providers and insurance companies charging “rip-off” prices.

– Michael Gove

Tories
The Environment Secretary has been a thorn in Mr Johnson’s side before (Jonathan Brady/PA)

He is reported to be considering asking the EU for a further extension – to the fury of Brexiteers – as he believes the UK is not ready for a no-deal break in October.

– Rory Stewart

Tories
The International Development Secretary would like to establish a citizens’ assembly (Victoria Jones/PA)

A Remainer who now accepts the referendum vote, he is strongly opposed to no-deal and would establish a citizens’ assembly to thrash out a new Brexit compromise.

He has said he wants to double the amount of the UK’s foreign aid spent on fighting climate change, while also advocating a big increase in the diplomatic budget.

– Sajid Javid

Tories
The Home Secretary would seek to cut the top rate of income tax (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He has said he would prefer no-deal to no Brexit and wants to leave by the end of October – but he has acknowledged Parliament could try to force the Government to seek a further extension.

Mr Javid has put forward a number of policy proposals including cutting the top rate of income tax and establishing a £100 billion fund to invest in the UK’s infrastructure and rebalance the economy.

– Matt Hancock

Tories
The Health Secretary says no-deal is not an option (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He has set out a Brexit delivery plan to leave by October 31, including establishing an Irish border council, made up of UK and Irish officials, to prevent the return of a hard border and time-limiting the backstop.

Mr Hancock has said the next election should be a choice between “higher pay with the Tories or higher taxes with Labour”.

– Andrea Leadsom

Tories
The Leaver lost out to Theresa May in the last Tory leadership contest (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

She has said Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement is dead and it is too late to negotiate a new deal by the October 31 cut-off so the UK must prepare for a “managed exit”.

– Sam Gyimah

Tories
The Remainer backs a second EU referendum (David Mirzoeff/PA)

He has said if he becomes prime minister he would not campaign on either side in another public ballot – although he would vote Remain.

– Esther McVey

Tories
The former work and pensions secretary says the UK must leave the EU on October 31 (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

She is prepared for no-deal, saying Britain must leave the EU on October 31 in a “clean break” with Brussels.

Elsewhere, she has caused controversy with comments championing the right of parents to take their children out of lessons on same-sex relationships.

– James Cleverly

Tories
The recently installed Brexit Minister would prefer to leave the EU with a deal (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

He has said no-deal is not his “preferred choice” but failure to leave the EU would be “significantly more damaging”.

– Kit Malthouse

Tories
The Housing Minister is known for giving his name to the Malthouse compromise (Isabel Infantes/PA)

A Leave supporter, he has acknowledged that without “unity across the UK” the Government will not be able to get a Brexit deal “over the line”.

– Mark Harper

Tories
The former chief whip has described himself as an underdog in the race (Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament/PA)

He has called for a “short, focused” extension to allow for the deal to be renegotiated but said he would be prepared to leave with no-deal if that is not possible.

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