Who’s who in Tory leadership contest?

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:

– Boris Johnson

The former foreign secretary and mayor of London, who spearheaded the Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum, is widely seen as the front-runner.

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

The Foreign Secretary, who campaigned for Remain but now supports Leave, is hoping to establish himself as the choice of centrist Tory MPs.

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

The former Brexit secretary who quit over Theresa May’s deal is seen as Mr Johnson’s main rival for the Brexiteer vote.

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

The Environment Secretary, who scuppered Mr Johnson’s last leadership bid in 2016, was a leading member of the Leave campaign who has since sought to appeal to Remainers.

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

The International Development Secretary was regarded as an outsider when he became among the first to throw his hat in the ring but his profile has steadily risen since.

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

The Home Secretary is a former Remainer who now places himself firmly in the Leave camp.

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

The Health Secretary was a strong Remainer who insists a no-deal Brexit is not an option as Parliament would never allow it.

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

The former leader of the Commons, who ran against Mrs May for the party leadership in 2016, was another prominent member of the Vote Leave campaign.

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

As the only contender offering a second referendum, the former universities minister is widely seen as rank outsider.

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

The former work and pensions secretary is another committed Brexiteer who quit the Cabinet over Mrs May’s deal.

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

Made a Brexit Minister by Mrs May in April, Mr Cleverly has said the Government must deliver on the referendum result.

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

– Kit Malthouse

The Housing Minister gave his name to the so-called Malthouse compromise – a proposal put together by Tory Leavers and Remainers to provide an alternative to the backstop.

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

A former Conservative chief whip and Remain supporter who now accepts the referendum result, Mr Harper acknowledges he is an underdog in the leadership race.

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.