Around a dozen British Conservative MPs will formally throw their hats into the ring on Monday in the fight to replace Theresa May as party leader and Prime Minister, with her former foreign secretary Boris Johnson seen as the runaway favourite.

Nominations to succeed May — who resigned on Friday as head of the ruling Tory party following her failure to deliver Brexit — open at 10:00 am (0900 GMT) and close at 5:00 pm (1600 GMT).

Britain’s departure from the European Union, twice delayed and now set for October 31, will dominate a contest scheduled to run until late July and which, in the past, has been characterised by shocks and surprises.

The new leader of the centre-right party — which won the most seats at the last general election in 2017 — will almost certainly become prime minister, with May remaining in Downing Street in the meantime.

Unofficial campaigning already started weeks ago and Johnson has emerged as the undisputed frontrunner — although in previous leadership races the early pacesetter has never been victorious.

Current foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, interior minister Sajid Javid and Environment Secretary Michael Gove are perhaps the best-known names of 10 other MPs also in the running. (Times Live)