Tom Tugendhat and Robert Jenrick join Tory leadership race as James Cleverly leads with MP endorsements - live

Suella Braverman said the Tories must reject “divisive identity politics and woke nonsense” in order to win back Reform voters.

Former home secretary Ms Braverman, who is widely expected to launch a bid to lead the party from the right, used a slot guest-hosting a radio programme to argue that “we had quite a centrist Conservative agenda” and that “identity politics got out of control” under Mr Sunak.

“We need to be a party that’s firm and credible on immigration,” she told LBC listeners.

“We need to give some hope to the British people on taxation, robust on security and defence, and a real champion for common-sense British values. None of this divisive identity politics and woke nonsense. It really frustrates me that that has happened on our watch.”

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the Tory leadership contest is like “a cross between Love Island and the jungle” as she attacked her shadow counterpart James Cleverly.

She told MPs: “The shadow home secretary, I think, has actually spent his entire speech not actually talking about any of the real challenges the country faces, but simply playing to the backbenches of the Conservative Party with a fantasy leadership application speech.

“And what is it about these former home secretaries and former home office ministers? You know, of the last seven home office ministers in cabinet, six of them are apparently running.”

She added: “So, if they are now lining up to do to the Tory Party what they’ve already done to the Home Office and the country, well, frankly, they deserve each other.

“Every one of them championed that policy on Rwanda, that the shadow home secretary, to be fair to him, did notoriously describe as batshit crazy, well, maybe that’s what you need to stand to be the Tory leader right now.”

Ms Cooper went on to say: “We’ve heard today this contest is going to run until November. We’ve got five months of this. We’ve hardly got any Tory MPs here because they’re all off doing their little chats and meetings. It’s like a cross between Love Island and the jungle.”

She added: “Somebody’s had a nervous breakdown and that is probably all of their backbenchers dreading getting a little text saying another candidate is wanting a chat and you can just see it, look at them on there, all of them really saying ‘I’m a Tory MP, get me out of here’.”

A one-time close ally of Mr Sunak he has also stridently attacked his old friend’s immigration plans in recent months. However, some Tory MPs, on both wings of the party, are wary of his apparent change of heart on the issue.

He was forced to deny he was starting his race when he wrote an opinion piece saying the Conservatives are the “natural home for Reform voters” and that former prime minister Mr Johnson “must always have a place” in the Tories, including in Parliament, should he wish to have one.

Odds: 8/1

The former home secretary is seen as someone who can unite the right of the party and its more moderate ‘One Nation’ members. She is also popular with grassroots Tories and has avoided alienating other MPs, unlike Suella Braverman.

Under the current rules, the party’s remaining rump of MPs get to decide which of the eventual leadership candidates will make it to the final two. At that stage more than 100,000 local party members then make their choice and crown the winner.

Ms Patel is also a Boris Johnson loyalist, who was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in his resignation honours.

Odds: 13/2

Mr Sunak will stay acting leader until a successor is appointed.

He said: “It’s in the national interest for us to have a smooth and orderly transition to a new Leader of the Opposition so I will stay in post until November 2, and the result of our leadership election.

“This will allow our party to fulfil its role as the official opposition professionally and effectively. I believe this is what is best for the Conservative Party and, most importantly, our country.

“It would be inappropriate for me to make any comment about the leadership campaign or candidates. I am confident that this timetable decided by the party board and the 1922 Committee will allow for a thoughtful, professional and respectful contest.”

Former immigration minister Robert Jenrick has been chosen as the favourite amongst among party members, according to a new poll.

Mr Jenrick, who quit Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet over the Rwanda Bill, emerged ahead of Kemi Badenoch, Tom Tugendhat, Dame Priti Patel and Suella Braverman.

Conservative members were asked in a poll by The Telegraph to rank their top four choices for next leader from a list of candidates who have signalled they will run.

Some 55 per cent of members listed Mr Jenrick as one of their top choices for next leader.