Boris Johnson has confirmed he will run for the Conservative Party leadership once Theresa May steps down.
Speaking in Manchester on Thursday afternoon, the former foreign secretary said: “Of course I’m going to go for it.”
Johnson, who abandoned a 2016 leadership bid, resigned from May’s government last summer in protest at her Brexit policy.
It comes as May came under renewed pressure from Tory MPs to set a timetable for her departure.
The PM met the executive of the powerful backbench 1922 Committee for around an hour and a half in her room in the Commons today.
Following the meeting, which lasted longer than expected, members of the 18-strong executive were set to have further private talks to consider their next steps.
Members of the executive are expected to discuss whether to change the leadership rules to enable an early challenge.
Under party rules, the prime minister currently cannot be challenged until December.
Ahead of the talks, 1922 treasurer Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told the Press Association: “It would be infinitely preferable if she set a date rather than us force her out.
“It’s better that she does it than we have a vote of confidence. What I would like to see is her set out a timetable to trigger a leadership contest.”
It had been widely assumed Johnson would try again to get the keys to No.10 and will likely join a crowded field once the leadership contest gets formally underway.
Other likely candidate include Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, Home Secretary Sajid Javid, Environment Secretary Micheal Gove, Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.