New Tory leadership challenger hinted at as partygate report publication drags on

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

A backbench Tory MP who has been critical of the Government’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal has become the first to announce he intends to stand for leader if Boris Johnson is voted out.

It comes as the Prime Minister could finally get sight of the highly anticipated “partygate” inquiry report from senior civil servant Sue Gray as early as this weekend, after police insisted they had not delayed its publication.

No 10 had still not received a copy of the report into possible lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall on Saturday morning. READ MORE: Council tax hike of £22 to pay for police, buses and fire service It is widely believed that either Chancellor Rishi Sunak or Foreign Secretary Liz Truss are frontrunners to win the top job if the Prime Minister is ousted.

But the Daily Mail reported on Friday that centrist Tories are backing ex-soldier Tom Tugendhat. The newspaper said some Conservative MPs believe the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) chairman represents the “best chance for a fresh start”.