Two former well being secretaries, Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, on Sunday introduced bids to face as Conservative celebration chief with pledges to slash taxes with the intention to win toughen from MPs.

A complete of 9 applicants have now introduced they are going to stand to interchange Boris Johnson as UK top minister, with extra anticipated to claim within the coming days.

In step with the bookmakers’ Ladbrokes Coral, former chancellor Rishi Sunak is in pole place to be the following chief. He has additionally picked up the biggest choice of endorsements thus far, with 27 Tory MPs pledging their toughen.

Penny Mordaunt, the industry minister, additionally introduced a bid on Sunday with a focal point on being a crew participant. “Our management wishes to switch. It must transform rather less concerning the chief and much more concerning the send,” she stated.

Javid, the primary cupboard minister to renounce from the federal government this week — prompting the occasions that resulted in the top minister’s resignation as Tory chief on Thursday — put the economic system as his central marketing campaign factor.

He pledged to scrap the nationwide insurance coverage upward thrust that used to be presented whilst he used to be well being secretary previous this yr, which is unpopular with fiscal conservatives.

“I’m now not positive I’d have executed it if I were chancellor, however I used to be interested by my activity and I’m now not looking to do people’s jobs for them,” he wrote within the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

Javid and Hunt additionally pledged to slash company tax. Whilst Hunt stated he would introduce a direct minimize from 19p to 15p, Javid stated he would scale back it via 1p a yr to succeed in the similar degree.

Hunt, who overtly criticised Johnson in closing month’s no-confidence vote within the top minister, argued that any tax cuts will have to be funded via enlargement.

“I would really like to peer source of revenue tax minimize, nevertheless it needs to be executed in some way this is sustainable,” he wrote within the Telegraph. “It may possibly’t be an electoral bribe and it depends upon enlargement. What you’d want is an source of revenue tax minimize this is for lifestyles, now not for Christmas. That implies beginning via announcing we’re going to get the economic system rising, you then get your self ready.”

Delivery secretary Grant Shapps additionally introduced on Sunday that he used to be status and sought to rally MPs who remained unswerving to the outgoing top minister. “I really like Boris Johnson”, he informed the Sunday Occasions.

Shapps added: “It’s simple to criticise Boris after preserving one’s head down for years whilst being satisfied to take pleasure in his patronage. I’m satisfied that I didn’t do this.”

The competition will officially start on Monday when the foundations shall be showed via the 1922 committee of backbench Tories. Nominations are anticipated to open on Tuesday, with the primary spherical of shortlisting via MPs on Wednesday.

Extra applicants are anticipated to claim within the coming days. Overseas secretary Liz Truss will release her marketing campaign imminently, consistent with the ones with wisdom of her plans.

She is predicted to hunt to tell apart herself from Sunak at the economic system, pledging tax cuts and provide aspect reform. One Truss best friend stated: “She’s without a doubt now not the continuity candidate at the economic system.”

Truss will recommend “a transparent imaginative and prescient for the economic system in line with Conservative rules”, any other best friend stated. She is going to focal point on law and the United Kingdom’s divergence from EU regulations.