Despite claiming he had the support of 102 Conservative MPs, Boris Johnson pulled out of the leadership race at 9 PM, accusing Rishi Sunak and Penny Mordaunt of not coming together in the national interest. Jeremy Hunt backed Sunak, as did Grant Shapps and James Heappey. Mordaunt refused to withdraw. She would need 100 backers by 2 PM the next day to prevent a Sunak coronation.
With acknowledgments to Harry Cole and James Heale‘s Out of the Blue: the Inside Story of the Unexpected Rise and Rapid Fall of Liz Truss